GEORGE TOWN – The state elections in Penang and Kedah tomorrow will be memorable for the sons and daughters of veteran elected representatives as they walk in the footsteps of their recognisable fathers to commit to a life of electoral service if they win.
In Penang alone, there are six candidates who are contesting under the shadows of their fathers.
Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s Datuk Keramat candidate Jagdeep Singh Deo, seeks inspiration daily from his late father Karpal Singh, the “Lion of Jelutong” who was DAP chairman.
He models his political traits after his legendary lawyer father, famed for being a human rights defender in Parliament and a lawyer in courts.
Lim Guan Eng is no stranger to the notion of a son following in the footsteps of his father Lim Kit Siang. The DAP chairman is defending his Air Putih seat which he held since 2008.
Then there is Phee Syn Tze, the daughter of Penang DAP veteran Phee Boon Poh, a former state executive councillor. She is contesting the Sg Puyu seat in Butterworth, which her father previously held.
There is also Wong Yuee Harng, who is running on the PH ticket in Pengkalan Kota. He may be small built but he possesses a “lion’s heart” to prove his detractors wrong as size is no obstacle in serving the public.
Wong is one of the seasoned DAP grassroots leaders, having served diligently as a Penang Island City Council member. He is also the son of veteran Nanyang Siang Pau journalist Wong Soon Eng, who used to head the Penang Press Club.
The younger Wong is often smiling and joking whenever he is on a campaign trail, saying that politics is a serious job, but it can also be an avenue to uplift the spirits of people.
Shunning elitism to serve public
In Teluk Air Tawar constituency, Abdul Mohsein Shariff, the son of former Penang deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shariff Omar, meets the electorate with ease.
“I grew up studying my father’s disposition with the people and I understand it,” he said.
Mohsein, who is contesting on a PH ticket, said that PKR is the party of the future as no country can progress if its minorities or majority groups are left behind. Politics should be based on needs rather than elitism, he said.
In Seberang Jaya, Izhar Shah Arif Shah, the son of former two-term Seberang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah takes offence when he is called a “boy”.
Contesting on a Perikatan Nasional (PN) ticket, Izhar wants to correct the perception that the coalition consists of those who are traitors.
He said that he plans to emulate his father Arif, who was with Umno, in serving the people – while to a lesser degree perhaps even outshining him.
In Kedah, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s son Mohammed Firdaus Johari, who is also a PKR leader, is attempting to take the Gurun seat for the first time for the ruling coalition.
Firdaus is unperturbed by the odds of being consigned as an underdog, saying that in politics, there is always a winner and a loser.
“Hopefully tomorrow, I can win and fulfil my mandate to the voters,” he said. – The Vibes, August 11, 2023
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