Political dynasties take to the hustings

 

The families of Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh are all involved in the general election.

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of candidates with close family ties is very significant this time, with members from at least seven families vying for parliamentary and state seats in the general election.

The families of Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh from Pakatan Harapan (PH) are continuing the tradition of fielding candidates from their households.

PKR president Anwar is contesting the Tambun parliamentary seat while his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will stand in Bandar Tun Razak and daughter Nurul Izzah will defend her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

Permatang Pauh is a PKR stronghold and is considered a traditional seat for Anwar’s family as he and his wife, who is the PKR advisory council chairman, have held the parliamentary seat since 1982, contesting on a Barisan Nasional ticket first and later under Pakatan Rakyat and Pakatan Harapan.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

Nurul Izzah, who is a PKR vice-president, will face a four-cornered fight with Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said (BN-Umno), Muhammad Fawwaz Mat Jan (PN-PAS), and Mohd Nasir Othman(Pejuang-Putra).

The retirement of Lim Kit Siang from politics has not reduced the involvement of his family members as national DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng will be defending the Bagan parliamentary seat while his younger sister Lim Hui Ying (Penang DAP secretary) will run in Tanjong.

Apart from that, the children of former DAP chairman, the late Karpal Singh, are also contesting parliamentary seats on the PH ticket. Ramkarpal Singh is contesting Bukit Gelugor and his brother Gobind Singh Deo in Damansara. Another brother, Jagdeep, is a state assemblyman in Penang.

Mahathir Mohamad and his son Mukhriz are contesting seats in their Kedah.

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad will defend his Langkawi seat while his son Mukhriz, who is also the Pejuang president, will defend Jerlun.

Brothers at arms

In Sabah, activist Vernon Bahanda will contest the Kudat parliamentary seat as an independent while his brother Wetron Bahanda, who is Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) deputy president, will vie for the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat.

In Perlis, former state Umno chief Shahidan Kassim will defend his Arau parliamentary seat under the PAS logo while younger brother Ismail Kassim will defend his Tambun Tulang state seat on a BN ticket.

Shahidan was not named as a candidate for the area after BN nominated Rozabil Abd Rahman as its candidate. - FMT