Sarawak Polls: Azizul Annuar enters the ring on his own strengths

KUCHING: Contrary to possible public perception, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for Tanjong Datu, Azizul Annuar Adenan is not the type who wants to rely on his late father’s huge name and political legacy to secure victory in the upcoming 12th Sarawak state election.

Azizul Annuar said he had never entertained the idea that being the son of Sarawak’s fifth chief minister, the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem, would be an advantage in his maiden election appearance for the seat his father held for three terms since 2011.

Instead, the 30-year-old ‘newbie’ prefers to be gauged by virtue of having long served the people of Tanjong Datu, and not merely because of his blood ties with Adenan, who was much-loved among Sarawakians.

“I have been serving the N.03 constituency (Tanjong Datu) for a long time and was the PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) youth chief in 2018,” he told Bernama.

Azizul Annuar, however, did not deny the fact there would be huge expectations if he won.

Many political observers have been going on the narrative that Azizul Annuar’s young age and being the former chief minister’s son has given him a head start in the race for Tanjong Datu.

There also many who opined that Adenan’s influence is still very strong in the constituency, to the extent that GPS felt Azizul Annuar was the most deserving to continue his father’s legacy, in addition to him being able to carry the ‘voice’ of Sarawak’s younger generation in the state legislative assembly.

In the 11th state election, Adenan, who was appointed Sarawak’s fifth chief minister on Feb 28, 2014, won the Tanjong Datu seat on a Barisan Nasional ticket for the third term.

Following his demise on Jan 11, 2017, a by-election was held in which Adenan’s widow, Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu was selected to represent BN and won the seat with an even bigger majority than in the state election held the previous year.

Tanjong Datu local, Mohd Alif Noni, 28, feels the emergence of a young candidate such as Azizul Annuar will pave the way for more youths to join politics.

“If we are to follow current developments, sometimes issues concerning youths are not understood by older elected representatives. Azizul is a young person and most likely has the same thinking as me,” Mohd Alif said.

-- BERNAMA