KOTA TINGGI, June 28 — The resilience and staunch principles of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s struggle served as the main ‘tonic’ to inspire Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Danish Hossman Abd Rahman to enter politics at the young age of 23.

Contesting the Johor Lama State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seat in the 16th Johor State Election (PRN), Danish Hossman, who is the youngest candidate, described the PH Chairman as his political ‘compass’ — one who has remained steadfast in championing the welfare of the people despite facing various storms of trials.

“To be honest, I only have one idol in this political arena, Datuk Seri Anwar. We look at his political career from the very beginning; it has always been about fighting for the rights of the people, even to the point of being dismissed from office and imprisoned.

“I came in during a time when the economy is more stable and the ringgit is performing better. I did not experience the hardships that he went through, but I deeply respect how he endured for decades for the sake of fighting for the people,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama here today.

The Master of Information Technology student from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) said his interest in the political world did not emerge overnight; rather, it is rooted in his family background, which has been active in the field since his school days.

“I was born into a political family. My grandfather was an Umno chief, while my father was the Pontian PKR Branch Chief for 10 years, and I was raised in an environment constantly exposed to politics, economics, and the issues of the people. That is where my interest in entering politics stemmed from,” the second-year UTHM student said.

Danish Hossman, who is also the Pontian PKR Branch Secretary and a Johor Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Exco Member, stated that he did not join politics to chase fame or positions, but rather to serve the people.

The eldest of five siblings is no stranger to community work, having long honed his leadership skills through active involvement in various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at the state level.

Commenting on the scepticism from certain quarters regarding his age factor, Danish Hossman considers it an asset rather than an obstacle, as it allows him to bring a new, more inclusive dimension and perspective.

“We can offer fresh ideas, and we can draw on long-standing experiences, but whatever the case, our main goal is to be a state assemblyman who works and listens to the people’s issues. That is what matters,” he said.

Danish Hossman is set to face a three-cornered contest against the incumbent for the Johor Lama seat, Norlizah Noh from Barisan Nasional (BN), as well as Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Aisah Esa on July 11.

Despite being aware that he will be going up against big names in the Johor Lama constituency, Danish Hossman remains unfazed and is optimistic that the mindset landscape of voters has shifted and grown more mature in evaluating information.

He noted that technological advancements and rapid access to information allow the residents of the Johor Lama constituency to objectively judge the performance and offerings of each party for themselves.

“It is the internet era now; they can look up information on their own and see developments on the outside for themselves. They can judge what is good and what is not.

“Insya-Allah (God willing), Pakatan Harapan still has a chance here, and I will meet as many voters as possible to hear their problems firsthand,” he said.

The Johor State Election will take place on July 11, with early voting scheduled for July 7.

To get the latest updates on the 16th Johor State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor. — Bernama