He does not fancy the spotlight. But Datuk Nizar Najib had no reservations when asked if he was willing to sit down for a no-holds-barred interview with Twentytwo13.
Nizar, 44, has been in the news in recent times – mainly due to his potential candidacy in the Pekan parliamentary seat, as Malaysians head to the polls on Nov 19.
Pekan, the royal town of Pahang, is located some 50km south of the state capital, Kuantan. It has been represented by the Razak family since 1959 – first held by Nizar’s grandfather, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the nation’s second prime minister (1959-1976) and followed by his dad, Datuk Seri Najib Razak (1976-1982; 1986-present).
Najib, the sixth prime minister of Malaysia, is currently serving a 12-year jail term for corruption. Nizar, who is Pekan Umno Youth chief, has since been thrown into the limelight.
It was earlier reported that Pekan Umno had nominated Nizar for one of the four state seats – Chini, Bebar, Peramu Jaya and Pulau Manis – in the constituency. However, Barisan Nasional (BN) has yet to finalise and reveal its candidates for GE15.
In an hour-long interview with Twentytwo13 at his residence in Ampang, Selangor yesterday, the chartered accountant, who is an advisor for tech company Beyond4, spoke about his relationship with his father. Nizar also addressed claims that he was “inexperienced”, and would only be a seat-warmer for Najib, if he is chosen by BN to contest in Pekan.
He shared his vision for Pekan and paid tribute to his pillar of strength – his wife, Datin Nur Sharmila Shaheen, and their five sons, aged between one and 16.
Certain quarters believe you are “inexperienced” to contest for a federal seat. Your thoughts?
Nazir Najib (NN): Everybody needs a chance to prove themselves. Without the opportunity, you will never have the chance to serve, to prove yourself. It’s natural to give a seat to those who are more experienced. Regardless of how much experience you have, it’s still a learning curve and I’m prepared to contest for a federal or a state seat if given the opportunity.
It’s for Umno and BN, in the long term, to get more younger representatives to come to the fore and to offer themselves. I’m not talking about myself specifically, but about my generation (of politicians). I think this is what the public expects from Umno, to bring in more credible leaders from all walks of life, people who are well-accepted by the community, to win their trust.
Anyway, I’m still part of the party hierarchy, so you work hard and you leave it to the party to decide where they think you are suitable (to contest).
Certain parties have been critical of you, especially being Najib’s son. What do you have to say?
NN: In any field, be it politics or a professional setting, being a parent for that matter (laughs), there’s bound to be criticism, that you are not good enough … you don’t do this well enough. Every leader has to go through that, no matter who you are. There will always be something wrong with you, as viewed by some quarters. You have to take it in stride.
Sometimes criticism is good, if people say you are not good enough, you take it as a challenge, rather than be slighted and moan all day. I’m here to serve.
Wouldn’t the fact that your father, a former prime minister and ex-Umno president who is serving jail time for corruption, be detrimental to your political career?
NN: Legacy is one thing. For all the criticisms levelled against dad, there were a lot of good things that he did … bringing in investments, and helping people from all communities.
That is dad. We are two different individuals, so I guess the name can only take you so far. There comes a point where you have to start proving yourself as an individual, what you bring to the table, and what sort of impact you want to make alongside other young leaders, right? I suppose you have to leverage the positives of that legacy.
At the end of the day, the acceptance of the people (in Pekan) is paramount. I think if you do a good job and deliver, people will respect you.
There are those who say that if you win in Pekan, you will be merely standing in for Najib, and will vacate the seat if he is released from jail earlier.
NN: There is a meticulous process involved when Umno and BN select a candidate. There are many things that are weighed in and factored into. I doubt I’ll be a seat warmer if I’m selected. It involves the life and death of the party, to make sure we win all seats. I’m willing to contribute anywhere but I doubt they (the party) will simply put me as a seat warmer, so to speak.
What’s your relationship like with Najib?
NN: I grew up with my mum (Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar). Mum and dad were married in 1976 and separated in 1987. After that, I was raised by my mum and didn’t see a lot of my dad, actually. We didn’t live in the same home, but he made time for us every now and then.
My mother taught us to be rooted, she wanted our feet firmly planted on the ground. When we were growing up, we took the school bus. I also rode the mini bus … that was quite fun, 50 sen could take you anywhere in the Klang Valley (laughs).
When my parents separated, we moved to Kuala Lumpur. I was in St Thomas primary school (in Kuantan) until Standard Two before moving to St John’s Institution (primary and secondary). After Form Three, I was in the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK). My late granddad also studied at MCKK. That’s another legacy there.
How would you describe your relationship with the locals in Pekan?
NN: So far, my rapport with the people in Pekan is positive. They will judge you based on your performance. I get along very well with the community there. I’ve been there (before) in the capacity of a non-governmental organisation and I’ve been serving and doing volunteer work there … helping out with flood relief work and the national (Covid-19) vaccination drive. I’m quite known in the community (but) I wouldn’t say 100 per cent.
I don’t think there’s an issue with rapport. People will judge you based on what you do in the long run, right?
I’m also inspired by my late granddad. That generation was incredible, the pioneers of the country. They established the national code for education, and the Rukun Negara. They established many agencies like Mara, Felcra, and Felda, and they have lifted a large number of people from poverty.
So, I want to do something that will have a similar impact in this day and age.
What are your plans for Pekan?
NN: We have a relatively young population. They need to have the platform to excel and be given the right tools and skills so that they will become highly sought after (in the job market).
It’s probably a Utopian fantasy, but if I had my way, if we can get the people in Pekan, especially the youths, gainfully employed with high salaries, that will be a dream scenario for me.
Yayasan Pahang and Beyond4 joined forces to employ Pahang youths to be digitally skilled. Over 50 individuals were involved in this project but we want to build on that number.
I want to give opportunities to our youngsters interested in technology start-ups. I’m very passionate about helping our youths.
Agricultural technology is equally important. I am quite amazed by the Netherlands as it is among the top three fruit and vegetable producers in the world. The nation utilises modern farming techniques and methodologies and has a top-class university, Wageningen University. And its land bank is small, compared to the USA. If we can harness the land like the Netherlands, we can be the Holland of the East.
You need time to develop stuff. This is not going to happen overnight. I’ve always wondered if we can ever turn Pekan and Pahang into an economic powerhouse in their own right. The state is a big land mass with lots of minerals. We can harness the infrastructure. We have a world-class port in Kuantan, we have the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) coming into play. Imagine what it will do in boosting the manufacturing presence in Pahang where you can assemble or semi-assemble stuff.
We are going to have a world-class Kuantan International Airport (in Gebeng). We have all these things … imagine what we can do with the state.
Do you have the capabilities and the resources to change Pekan’s fortunes?
NN: Obviously, (if given the chance to contest and the mandate to serve the people), I can’t do it alone. We need to get enough people excited so that we have a snowballing effect where everybody is working towards the same goal.
That is a challenge in itself but as the saying goes, you have to start somewhere. You have to do it brick by brick, step by step.
Who would be BN’s biggest threat in Pekan?
NN: It will likely be someone from Pas and perhaps (Parti Pribumi) Bersatu (Malaysia).
You’ve been in the spotlight in recent times …
NN: Personally, I’m not one who enjoys the spotlight, it’s a bit of a paradox actually. I want to serve the people but at the same time, I shun the limelight (laughs).
I’ve delayed doing interviews … I don’t like being in the spotlight but sometimes you just have to (do an interview) and set the record straight.
You’ve been busy travelling from Ampang to Pekan. What does your family say about your hectic schedule?
NN: I’ve been blessed with a supportive family. My wife Sharmila has been amazing in terms of empathy and she understands the challenges I have to deal with being in this situation. She’s been a pillar, offered me a lot of support, given me the motivation, and provided stability at home (laughs).
If you don’t have stability at home, don’t bother talking about stability at the national level (laughs).
My support system (at home) has been great. I’ve been blessed with five princes (Nabil, 16, Nadeem, 14, Najib Najmi, 11, Noah Iskandar, eight, and Naquib Mirza, one) and I make sure I spend as much time with them as possible.
If a local in Pekan asked you, ‘What will you do for the people of Pekan?’, what would you say, in not so many words?
NN: I want to uplift their income levels and purchasing power.
