KUALA LUMPUR: By winning a seat at the recent Melaka state election, Datuk Dira Abu Zahar has also become the first artiste to win in an election.
The 37-year-old actress-turned-politician, whose full name is Khaidira Abu Zahar contested for the state assembly seat for Rim on a Barisan Nasional ticket. She received 4,037 votes, beating two other candidates with a majority of 1,327 votes. Her opponents, Azalina Abdul Rahman from Perikatan Nasional had 2,710, while Parti Harapan's Prasanth Kumar received 2,163 votes.
Dira, in an earlier news report, said that she hoped to follow her father's footsteps and serve the people from her hometown.
Her father, the late Datuk Seri Abu Zahar Ithnin, was the state's eighth Chief Minister.