PEKAN: Datuk Mohamad Nizar Mohamad Najib realises that he has big shoes to fill as his father had served Pekan constituents for decades.
The eldest son of jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he intends to prove his own worth through his sincerity and hard work in his first election outing in the Peramu Jaya state seat.
"I want to meet as many of the voters as possible. This is one of the largest state constituencies and there is a lot of ground to cover in two weeks.
"So far, the response from the people in Peramu Jaya has been positive and I am getting to know the community more. I won't say that 100% of them know me but I look forward to meeting and serving them sincerely. I hope I get that opportunity," said Nizar.
Asked if he was worried of being in his father's shadow, Nizar said he would "take things one step at a time".
"I think I just have to be myself. I can't be someone I am not.
"My dad set the benchmark so high and sometimes I feel I have to climb Mt Everest. But I will take it one step at a time, have faith in my own abilities and see where that takes me," he said.
Nizar added that Najib still had a large reservoir of goodwill among the people of Pekan.
As the 44-year-old walked out to greet party supporters, the familiar "Bossku" chants that greeted him were an indication of the goodwill he spoke of.
Outside the nomination centre, Nizar's family – his mother Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar, wife Nur Sharmila Shakeen, sister Puteri Norlisa Najib, brothers Mohammad Nazifuddin Najib and Norashman Najib – were waiting to cheer him on as the Election Commission returning officer for Pekan Datuk Zaliza Zulkipli announced the candidates for the Pekan parliamentary seats as well as the four state seats of Peramu Jaya, Bebar, Chini and Pulau Manis.
Kneeling down to kiss his mother's hand after submitting his papers, Nizar told the media: "This is my mother. She has come a long way to support me. Please wish me luck."
