Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s daughter, UMNO Women’s executive committee member Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid, has revealed that she has always had a strong interest in the entertainment industry and might have become an actress or singer if she did not carry the identity of being the daughter of a prominent politician.
Nurulhidayah said she has nothing against careers in entertainment and would have seriously considered pursuing one if she had been given the choice. However, she has always been conscious of how her public image could affect her father and their family.
“I really love entertainment. If I were allowed to choose, I think I might have fully entered the entertainment industry. But carrying that kind of image may not be suitable for my father,” she said.
“Better to be hurt than hurt others”
Nurulhidayah also spoke about the lessons her father taught her while growing up, particularly when it came to handling conflicts and relationships.
One principle that stayed with her was to never deliberately hurt others, even if it meant accepting that she might be hurt herself. Ahmad Zahid also advised her not to get involved in other people’s family disputes, warning that those who are fighting today could reconcile tomorrow, leaving the person who intervened in an awkward position. She said the same principle applies to disputes between married couples, adding that she has continued to follow her father’s advice into adulthood.
As the eldest of six siblings, Nurulhidayah said she was given plenty of responsibilities from a young age. With the family not having a domestic helper at the time, she began doing household chores such as washing and ironing clothes, cooking and looking after her younger siblings from around the age of nine or 10.
She described her childhood as different from that of many other children, saying she was essentially trained to take on the role of an older sister from a young age.
Her father made her read five newspapers a day
Another childhood routine that left a lasting impression on her was her father’s insistence that she read the newspapers every day.
Nurulhidayah said Ahmad Zahid believed that people needed to keep reading to stay mentally sharp. Her family subscribed to several newspapers, and she was expected to read at least five of them before being quizzed by her father about the day’s news.
“He would ask me, ‘What happened today?’” she recalled.
She believes the habit eventually helped shape her writing and communication skills, saying she now feels she has some qualities similar to those of a journalist. Ahmad Zahid himself continues to read newspapers daily and is also an avid reader, she added.
Despite his strict approach to raising his children, Nurulhidayah said her father never forced them to pursue conventional careers such as medicine, law or engineering. Instead, he allowed his children to decide what they wanted to do with their lives.
“Different races should complement each other”
Nurulhidayah also weighed in on Malaysia’s multiracial society, saying Malays, Chinese and Indians should not view one another as competitors. Instead, she believes Malaysians should recognise the strengths of different communities and find ways to combine them for the benefit of the country.
While acknowledging the special position of Malays as provided for under the Federal Constitution, she stressed that such constitutional provisions should not become an excuse for Malays to stop working hard or improving themselves.
“Just because we are Malay and enjoy certain special rights, it doesn’t mean we don’t need to work or make an effort,” she said.
Nurulhidayah added that Malaysians today are not only competing with one another locally, but are part of a much wider global competition where every community needs to continuously develop its capabilities.
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