GE14 | The son of the late Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak joined Umno today, according to media reports.

The 31-year old lawyer Ahmad Faiq is the seventh of Azizan’s eight children. Azizan helmed the state from 2008 to 2013, when Kedah was under a PAS-led administration as part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

According to Utusan Malaysia, Ahmad – a PAS member since he was 18 – decided to join Umno after obtaining the blessing of his mother, Faekah Sheikh Hamzah.

“I asked for my mother’s views before deciding to join any political party, and my mother said, go join any party except Amanah, because Amanah used to fight with my father.

“My mother said it is my right to choose any party. If DAP had come earlier, I could have joined DAP, but it was BN that came,” he was quoted as saying.

Ahmad also made up his mind to join Umno after speaking to members of other parties including PAS, Amanah, and PKR.

“I’ll speak frankly – I’ve been friends with people from PAS, Amanah, and PKR.

“When hanging out with everyone, I see that if you want to help people, you can only do it through BN,” he said.

Ahmad added that he joined Umno on his own volition, and does not care if others accuse him of being bribed into joining.

He reportedly said this during a gathering for BN’s party machinery in Jerai, a marginal seat where caretaker minister in the prime minister’s department Jamil Khir Baharom is contesting for BN candidate.

Jamil won the seat in 2013 with a majority of 1,196 votes, or just 1.9 percent of the ballots cast.

In the running against Jamil is the son of another former Kedah menteri besar, Bersatu’s Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi. His father Sanusi Junid was the Kedah menteri besar from 1996 to 1999.

Jamil and Akhramsyah will be squaring off against PAS’ Sabri Azit.