Up close and personal with Mohd Azahar and Normala Sudirman

LABIS: Having a by-election after 21 years has caused excitement in the sleepy hollow of Tenang, with two new faces namely Barisan Nasional’s Mohd Azahar Ibrahim and PAS’ candidate Normala Sudirman trying to outdo each other to claim a spot in the Johor state assembly.

Mohd Azahar, who is the former Rengit assistant district officer and the son of former Tenang assemblyman Ibrahim Daud, has been active on the ground to meet the locals.

Azahar, who is only an ordinary member in the Labis Umno division, has previously held positions in the party including treasurer of the Labis Umno Youth division and the Kampung Paya Merah Labis Umno branch from 2004 to 2008.

He has a degree in political science from Portsmouth, United Kingdom and is married to Tuty Roshizana Tumin, 31.

The couple are blessed with three children, a seven-month baby boy, a two-year-old girl and the eldest girl is six.

PAS candidate Normala Sudirman, a local teacher, is the first woman candidate fielded by PAS in the country’s 14th by-election since the 2008 general election.

Thirty-eight-year-old Normala quit her job in December last year to concentrate in her duties for the party. Normala, a mother of three - has two boys, aged eight and 10 and a 13-year old girl.

She holds several positions within the party including the Labis PAS wanita chief, exco member of the central PAS women’s education wing and the Pusat Aduan Rakyat Dun Tenang head.

Normala studied at the Maktab Tuanku Bainon in Penang and is married to Makrof Abdul Mutalib, who is also a local teacher in the area.

Although many articles have been published on the young candidates’ political views and manifesto, Star Metro had a candid moment with them.

Do you have Facebook/Twitter/Blogs?

Azahar: I do not spend a lot of time on the computer but I have had a Facebook account for the past six months ago. Although I am fairly new at social networking, I hope to use these tools to get closer to the people especially within the Tenang constituency.

Normala: I have a blog and Facebook account and spend at least half-an-hour on the computer to update these sites. Both were created to ensure that I can communicate easily with the people and express my views as well.

Do you play any musical instruments or enjoy singing or dancing?

Mohd Azahar: I do not play any musical instruments but I enjoy listening to R&B music. I also enjoy singing especially taking part in karaoke sessions with family and friends. I can also sing Mandarin songs which I learnt from my friends and school teacher.

Normala: I have never learnt to play any musical instruments but I enjoy the soothing melodies of Nasyid songs which have a calming effect on me.

What is your favourite book and what was the last book you read?

Mohd Azahar: The last book I read was End Of Days but I do not have a particular author that I follow. I do enjoy reading up on American politics as I studied political science. I also love reading Asiaweek as it updates me on the political scenario around the world and have read many books relating to politics. The latest is American president Barrack Obama’s biography.

Normala: My taste in books also reflects my taste in music and I like to read up on religious and nationalistic books which I find very inspirational.

What is your favourite food?

Mohd Azahar: I like Ikan Baung Masak Lemak Cili Api. There is this one particular restaurant in Segamat which I often visit to get a taste of this unique spicy river fish.

Normala: My favourite dishes are Nasi Goreng Kampung and Siakap Masak Steam.

What do you do during your free time?

Mohd Azahar: Usually, I am most relaxed when spending time with my family. I enjoy playing with my three children and they are what I look forward to at the end of the day.

Normala: Immersing myself in books helps me stay relaxed and it is the best way to let off steam after a hectic day.

Do you play any sports and what is your favourite sport?

Mohd Azahar: I enjoy playing golf but I used to play badminton many years ago. Other than that, I watch many different types of sports on television and this includes sepak takraw, hockey and badminton. Frankly, I prefer to watch than play sports.

Normala: I enjoy playing netball and used to be quite active in school. I also enjoy watching my students play the game and sometimes I join them as well.

How many languages do you speak?

Mohd Azahar: I usually converse in Bahasa Malaysia but also communicate in English with some of my friends.

Normala: Other than Bahasa Malaysia, I can speak English and Javanese but of course, I use Bahasa Malaysia to converse most of the time.

Do you have a nick name?

Mohd Azahar: Many people actually know me as Tok Ai. The name was given to me by my friends when my late father was elected village head when I was in Year Five or Six.

Normala: My close family members have always addressed me as Nor but since becoming a teacher, many know me as Cikgu Mala.

What do you like about Malaysia?

Mohd Azahar: I value the harmonious and peaceful atmosphere in the country with its religious and cultural diversity. Another interesting thing is that Malaysia has so many natural tourist destinations.

Normala: My favourite feature about Malaysia is the diverse culture, religion and beliefs. The different types of people make Malaysia an interesting and unique place and this is what I most love about the country.

What do you dislike about Malaysia.

Mohd Azahar: That would be the bad habits Malaysians are often linked to especially bad road manners and littering. I noticed a vast difference in attitude when I was in the United Kingdom and I guess we need to improve on this.

Normala: The only factor that I dislike about Malaysia is that we do not practice true democracy as yet. Many channels are still heavily censored but we are on the right track to improve the situation.

Who is your idol and why?

Mohd Azahar: My idol is definitely former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I admire his ability to administer and his vision for the country. I also believe that although he is critical at times, he is doing it for the benefit of the country.

Normala: My idol is Prophet Muhammad. He is an inspiration to me because he was an exemplary Muslim who gave importance to patience, sacrifice and struggles.

Who is your favourite actor and why?

Mohd Azahar: I love American action actors Steven Segal and Bruce Willis. The two are often featured in action movies and I just like their style.

Normala: My favourite actor is local legend P.Ramlee. He is one of the most talented local artistes that we have ever had.

Do you have any pets?

Mohd Azahar: Actually, I do not like pets at home for health reasons. I’m not much of an animal person but my children have two turtles named Lulu and Lala.

Normala: I am quite fond of animals and have a cat named Mickey.