Nurul Nuha bakal calon PKR di Permatang Pauh?

Beberapa pemerhati politik melihat Nurul Nuha (tengah), anak kedua Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mula diketengahkan bagi meneruskan legasi keluarga itu di Permatang Pauh.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sekalipun ramai pihak masih menunggu keputusan rasmi berhubung kekosongan kerusi parlimen Permatang Pauh, beberapa pemerhati politik melihat Nurul Nuha, anak kedua Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mula diketengahkan bagi meneruskan legasi keluarga itu di Permatang Pauh.

Nurul Nuha, 31, seorang suri rumah berkelulusan Ijazah Teknologi Seni dan Visual dari Universiti George Mason, Amerika Syarikat, diberikan "tugasan awal" dalam kempen terbaru perjuangan Anwar yang didakwa menjadi mangsa ketidakadilan.

Dalam sidang media di kediaman keluarga Anwar di sini hari ini, Naib Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Nurul Izzah yang juga anak sulung Anwar memperkenalkan adiknya itu kepada pengamal media.

"Nurul Nuha akan memainkan peranan dalam kempen 'March to Freedom'. Fokus (kami kini) adalah untuk menubuhkan sekretariat (untuk kempen) dan kami akan berurusan dengan beberapa pihak dan personaliti dalam soal ini dan mahu memastikan Nurul Nuha menjadi wajah (bagi kempen)," katanya.

Bagaimanapun beliau menolak untuk menjawab soalan wartawan sama ada kempen tersebut bertujuan menonjolkan adiknya di pentas politik.

"Hari ini kami hanya menumpukan pada kempen 'March to Freedom' dan tiada pengumuman mengenai pencalonan pada sidang media ini. Saya fikir kami cuba memastikan setiap adik beradik kami berdikari dari segi kewangan," kata Nurul Izzah.

Semalam, Mahkamah Persekutuan memutuskan Anwar gagal dalam rayuan terakhirnya terhadap sabitan meliwat bekas pembantu peribadinya Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan pada 2008 dengan mengekalkan hukuman penjara lima tahun.

Keputusan itu sekali gus melucutkan kelayakan Anwar sebagai anggota Parlimen Permatang Pauh yang disandangnya sejak 2008 berikutan Perkara 48(1)(e) Perlembagaan Persekutuan menyatakan seseorang anggota Parlimen boleh dilucutkan kelayakannya jika dijatuhi hukuman penjara lebih daripada setahun atau didenda lebih daripada RM2,000.

Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof ketika dihubungi Bernama semalam berkata SPR akan hanya mengumumkan kekosongan kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh sebaik menerima surat rasmi daripada Speaker Dewan Rakyat.

Sementara itu, Pensyarah Geostrategis Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Prof Dr Azmi Hassan berkata, penglibatan Nurul Nuha dalam kempen itu dilihat seperti usaha PKR untuk mengangkatnya sebagai calon kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh.

"Kalau ini benar, nampak seperti PKR ketandusan calon, walhal sebenarnya banyak calon lain yang berkelayakan dalam PKR sedangkan Nurul Nuha tidak nampak kewibawaannya," katanya.

Katanya, jika Nurul Nuha menjadi calon ia sekali gus menunjukkan keluarga Anwar mahu terus menguasai PKR dan meneruskan amalan nepotisme dalam parti itu.

Beliau berkata usaha menjadikan Nurul Nuha sebagai calon dilihat akan memberi kelebihan untuknya mendapat sokongan sepertimana yang diterima Nurul Izzah dalam pilihan raya sebelum ini.

Pensyarah Geo-Politik Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Profesor Madya Dr Mohd Fuad Mat Jali pula berpendapat, jika Nurul Nuha dicalonkan untuk pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh, ia jelas menunjukkan amalan nepotisme dan kekeluargaan dalam PKR.

"Sesiapa sahaja yang melihat keadaan itu akan berkata itu adalah nepotisme dan kekeluargaan," katanya.

Dr Mohd Fuad menjelaskan, jika Nurul Nuha dicalonkan di Permatang Pauh, ia adalah kerana kerusi tersebut merupakan kubu kuat PKR dan mereka berkeyakinan tinggi mampu menang walaupun meletakkan calon yang kurang dikenali atau berkemampuan.

"Selain itu mungkin juga isu simpati akan digunakan untuk memastikan kemenangan Nurul Nuha nanti seperti yang pernah digunakan oleh isteri Anwar (Presiden PKR) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ketika bertanding di kerusi tersebut dahulu," katanya.

Selain Nurul Izzah dan Nurul Nuha, Anwar mempunyai empat anak yang lain iaitu Mohd Ihsan, Nurul Ilham, Nurul Iman dan Nurul Hana.

Anwar, 67, dari Cherok Tok Kun, Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang mula bertanding kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh pada pilihan raya umum keenam pada April 1982 atas tiket Barisan Nasional dengan mengalahkan calon PAS Zabidi Ali dengan majoriti 14,352 undi.

Beliau telah mempertahankan kerusi itu sehingga dijatuhi hukuman penjara pada 14 April 1999, dan kerusi tersebut dimenangi Dr Wan Azizah pada pilihan raya umum ke-10 pada November 1999.

Anwar yang dibebaskan daripada penjara pada 2 Sept 2004, tidak dibenarkan berpolitik selama lima tahun berkuat kuasa daripada tarikh pembebasan.

Dr Wan Azizah telah terus mempertahankan kerusi itu sehingga mengosongkan kerusi itu pada 31 Julai 2008 bagi memberi laluan kepada Anwar untuk bertanding kerusi itu dalam pilihan raya kecil kerusi Permatang Pauh pada Ogos, 2008.

Anwar memenangi kerusi itu dengan mengalahkan calon Barisan Nasional Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah dengan majoriti 15,671 undi.

- Sumber: Bernama

There can only be ONE Whitney in this lifetime - Sheila Majid

"There's no other singer like her," said Datuk Sheila Majid. Photo: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Today marks the third death anniversary of the world’s most beloved songbird and and this is a tribute to the amazing producer, actress and model - Whitney Houston.

An undeniable talent paired with mesmerizing beauty, whose vocals and music inspired not only her fans but countless others around the globe, Whitney Houston never ceased to appear in the hearts and minds of all walks of life.

As one of the world's best-selling music artistes, Houston had sold over 200 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of them have received diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certifications.

In 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. She was frequently referred to as "The Voice".

Born Whitney Elizabeth Houston, she has the singer's blood running in her veins for her mother, Emily "Cissy" Houston is also a singer. Both mother and daughter had come together to show off their power combo with songs like 'Count On Me' and 'You and Me Against the World'.

We spoke to Datuk Sheila Majid, Malaysia’s Queen of Jazz who has nothing but respect towards this diva and like the rest of us, Sheila agrees that there can only be one Whitney Houston in this lifetime.

“Whitney Houston was the voice of the century. She not only inspired me but the whole world. There is no other singer like her. I have so many favourites but if I have to name one, it would be ‘Miracle’ also her duet with her mum Cissy Houston ‘Count on Me’”, said Sheila.

The duo of power vocals, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey singing 'Miracle'. Photo: AFP

As if she was born to impress the mass on stage, Houston, was not only an amazing songstress, she was also a great actress.

““When I decided to be a singer, my mother warned me I'd be alone a lot. Basically we all are. Loneliness comes with life."

”

- ~ Whitney Houston.

Who can forget Whitney's career-defining version of Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' which made it the biggest-selling U.S. single of all time (at four times platinum).

Parton wrote and first recorded it, almost 20 years before Whitney spent a then-record 14 weeks at the top of the singles chart in 1992-93 with what turned out to be her signature song which became one of the soundtrack for the movie ‘The Bodyguard’ which she starred alongside Kevin Costner.

For Neda Kalip, who is a huge fan of Whitney Houston, she will always love the song ‘I Will Always Love You’ because that song truly exudes the meaning of love, all so sincerely and to top it off, Houston’s vocal range was so powerful that she never failed to capture the hearts of listeners.

“No one can come close to what Whitney can do with her vocal chords, her star persona is incomparable," said Neda.

Whitney Houston never fail to capture the hearts of her audience. Photo: AFP

Houston was more than just a performer. She stood up for her fellow artistes and became a hero in their eyes and set a benchmark for the industry for all female artistes.

Back then, in the 80’s, when MTV was coming into its own and received criticism for not playing enough videos by African-American artists, Houston followed the efforts Michael Jackson took and she broke the colour barrier for African-American artistes in America by becoming the first African-American woman to receive heavy rotation on MTV with the success of the "How Will I Know" video.

Following Houston's breakthrough, this niece of legendary singer, Dionne Warwick, has paved a path for other African-American women, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, to be successful in popular music.

Malaysia’s very own R&B sweetheart, Dayang Nurfaizah has nothing but great respect and warm love over Houston. Dayang’s favourite song ‘Why Did It Hurt So Bad?’ from the movie Houston starred in ‘Waiting to Exhale’, sends shivers to her bones every time she listens to it. That is how good that song is.

“She is the greatest voice of all times, no one can sing like her,” said Dayang.

With all these amazing things that Houston had done and contributed to the world of music, she can’t escape life challenges - believed to have set her fate the way it did.

Her fame got the best of her when she conformed to drugs, when she was constantly scrutinised as a wife to singer Bobby Brown as well as a mother to Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown.

'No one can sing like Whitney," according to Dayang Nurfaizah. Photo: AFP

On February 11, 2012, the world was shocked by her death. Houston was found dead in her guest room at the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. She was only 48 years old.

The official coroner's report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and featured prominently in American and international media.

Today, though Houston's death stands sore in the heart of every music makers, stars and fans, but her heavenly tunes will forever live in the hearts of each and everyone of us.

- Source: Astro Awani