Malaysia election 2022: son of jailed former PM Najib Razak to make run for state seat in poll debut

Mohamad Nizar Najib, 44, will contest the Peramu Jaya seat under the Pekan federal constituency

Nizar’s father, Najib Razak, is serving a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal

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Peramu Jaya candidate Mohd Nizar Najib with supporters during an election rally ahead of the 2022 Malaysian general election. Photo: Bernama/dpa

Published: 4:40pm, 6 Nov 2022

Mohamad Nizar Najib, the eldest son of jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, will contest for a state seat in this month’s election as he seeks to continue his family’s political legacy.

Nizar, 44, will contest the Peramu Jaya seat under the Pekan federal constituency, according to the Election Commission. He is among more than two dozen new candidates that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition picked for the Pahang state poll that will be held alongside the November 19 national vote.

Speculation was rife that Nizar would contest the parliamentary seat of Pekan, which his family had won in almost every election since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. Nizar replaces incumbent Peramu Jaya assemblyman Sheikh Mohamed Puzi Sheikh Ali, who will instead stand in the Pekan parliamentary seat.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak (centre) greets his supporters during a break in his final appeal trial outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya in August 2022. Najib is now serving a 12-year prison sentence. Photo: EPA-EFE

Najib is serving a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. He has applied for a royal pardon, but remains on trial in four other cases, each carrying prison terms and hefty financial penalties.

Campaigning for Malaysia’s general election kicked off on Saturday, with the ruling Barisan Nasional alliance seeking to strengthen its position following a run of successful local polls.

Nearly 1,000 candidates submitted nomination papers, according to the Election Commission. More than 21 million Malaysians will cast ballots for 222 parliament seats and pick representatives for the states of Pahang, Perak and Perlis.