Young man with ties to the ulama is PAS' choice

The speculation is over. PAS Jerai division Youth chief Mohd Azam Samat has been picked to contest the Sungai Limau by-election.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang made the announcement at the party's information center in Sungai Limau Dalam tonight, in the presence of a 1,000-strong crowd.

"He is young, a Sungai Limau resident and is highly educated in Islamic studies," Hadi (left) said.

Azam will face the BN's Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, 52, a former Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris lecturer, whose candidacy was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Sungai Lentang earlier today.

Azam, 37, was born in Kampung Gelam 2, and grew up in Pondok Bukit Besar, which is considered a PAS stronghold. He has a diploma in Islamic Studies and is married, with five children.

He worked at the An-Nahdzah Secondary School in Bukit Besar as a senior co-curriculum assistant.

His involvement in PAS includes holding the posts of Kedah Youth executive committee member and PAS PASTI department director (2007 to date).

Azam has a strong religious background, and is related to three prominent ulama in Kedah: Abdul Hamid Ibrahim, who is the brother of Tuan Guru Aziz Pendang and Tuan Guru Abd Razak (Haji Daq).

His grandfather Abdul Hamid was Jerai PAS Youth chief and contested the Sala state seat in the country's first general election in 1959.

His father, Abd Samat Abd Hamid was an activist at the branch level and his mother Mariani Hamid was active in Bukit Besar PAS branch women's wing.

Also present tonight were PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, DAP senior leader and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang and PAS Sungai Limau election director Mahfuz Omar.

Like Sohaimi, Azam currently lives in Guar Cempedek, several kilometres away from the heart of Sungai Limau.

Sungai Limau, which falls within the parliamentary constituency of Jerai, fell vacant following the death of former Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak on Sept 26.

Azizan had held the seat for five terms, since 1995. He beat his cousin, Fazillah Mohd Ali of the BN, by a majority of 2,774 votes to retain it in the May 5 general election.

In his speech, Azam said he would continue with Azizan's agenda and ensure that PAS retains the seat.

"Let there be no provocation on either side during the by-election campaign and thanks to the media, which will surely give us fair coverage," he said.

Ending his speech, Azam, asked for his mother's blessing for his candidacy, saying he believes her prayers would see him through the campaign period.