KUANTAN: Datuk Mohamad Nizar Mohamad Najib will not get to defend his father and grandfather's legacy seat of Pekan but the political scion still has a chance to prove himself in the 15th General Election.
The eldest son of jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had been announced as Barisan Nasional's candidate for the Peramu Jaya state seat within the Pekan parliamentary constituency.
ALSO READ: GE15: Barisan Nasional unveils candidates
Speculation had been rife that Nizar would be the likely candidate to succeed his father by being fielded for Pekan but this was not to be as Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali had been announced as Barisan's candidate instead.
Nizar's election debut would instead be in the state seat formerly held by Sh Mohmed Puzi.
ALSO READ: GE15: Barisan's fresh-looking line-up will appeal to the youth, says Umno info chief
Commenting on his candidacy, Nizar said he could not simply rely on sympathy votes.
"The people also want to see development and what kind of service that we can provide to the local community. We cannot just hope for sympathy votes.
ALSO READ: GE15: Kiandee ready to defend Beluran amid GRS-Barisan impasse
"My father and my family have always served the people, especially the people of Pekan. I will continue this legacy to the best of my abilities," he said after the announcement of Pahang Barisan candidates here on Wednesday (Nov 2).
The Pekan seat had been in the Najib family since 1959 when it was first won by his father and former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
ALSO READ: After 63 years, no Najib family member for Pekan
Except for a gap from 1982 to 1986, Najib held the Pekan parliamentary seat since 1976 after the passing of his father.
In 1982, Najib did not defend the seat but instead contested and won the Bandar Pekan state seat, allowing him to be appointed as the Pahang mentri besar at the age of 29.
In GE14, he retained Pekan but fell short of achieving his target of a 40,000-vote majority.
Najib won with a majority of 24,859 votes, defeating PAS’ Ahiatudin Daud, Bersatu’s Muhammad Zahid Md Arip and Independent candidate Abd Kadir Sainudin.
