THE recent video exposé about a certain political leader allegedly committing acts of sexual nature via a spy camera is nothing new in Malaysia, and I am pretty sure it won’t be the last.

As a conservative society, Malaysians are easily affected when confronted with such a revelation.

It may influence people’s perception on whether the person involved is fit to be a leader or otherwise, even though the video could very well be a hoax.

Unfortunately, some despicable minds had taken advantage of the situation and launched a systematic attack to destroy the political career of the victim.

My stand on this is clear: I will not waste my time talking about how disgusting these political animals are when it comes to smearing another person’s reputation.

As far as I know, they are criminals and cowards, therefore, I will leave it to the justice system to punish these perpetrators.

What I would like to focus on is the man himself: Mohamed Azmin Ali. Will he overcome the attempted political assassination?

Azmin, as I know him personally, is a man of character. A seasoned politician, he has gone through the Malaysian political roller coaster from his early days as a university student.

He comes from a simple family, not from any political or aristocratic background. His father worked with the army, hence, I guess, that could be where Azmin got his stern and commanding demeanour.

He was offered a scholarship to study for his degree in the United States, and this was where he started to become active in student politics and youth leadership.

Whenever Dr Mahathir Mohamad or Anwar Ibrahim visited the US, Azmin was always the liaison officer of choice.

This gave him the opportunity to directly discuss ideas with top Malaysian leaders and, sure enough, his passion and interest in mainstream politics were rewarded when he was appointed private secretary to Anwar, then deputy prime minister.

His stock was on the rise and he was seen as the natural successor to helm the country when the time came.

Nevertheless, 1998 was a challenging year for him, but he remained loyal to his superior, even to the point of cofounding Parti KeadiLan Nasional with Anwar, the original party that later became Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), to rival Barisan Nasional.

He was among the first supporters manhandled and arrested by the authorities during the Reformasi period.

He was also barred by the court from participating in the 10th general election in 2004.

Listening to him tell all these stories made me realise that he was a fighter.

I believe he still is now.

It was never easy for him, but he survived the baptism of fire.

His leadership prowess was tested when Anwar was imprisoned again. Azmin had to unite opposition supporters and ensure the cracks within would not disintegrate the party.

He began to groom new leaders within the party, possibly due to his passion in teaching, as he used to be a high school teacher (and also holds a Master’s degree in Education).

This strategic move shows the vision of Azmin in ensuring that the party will continue grow bigger and stronger.

When he took the helm as menteri besar of Selangor, people thought he would not even last for one term.

He proved them wrong, and knowing him as a not-so-chatty person, Azmin loved to show that his actions spoke louder than his words. Selangor continues to be prosperous and progressive.

Numerous beneficial schemes were introduced and more assistance was given to the rakyat as a result of an economically stable Selangor.

For example, he introduced the Smart Selangor blueprint, a master plan to make Selangor a smart state.

Closer to my liking, he also introduced several youth employability programmes, such as Internship for High Impact Talent and academic boot camps.

Selangor enjoyed an increase in direct investment due to his leadership.

He is the type to take the bull by the horns and execute his game plan, be it legal suits, defamation, water crisis and interference from the federal government.

Throughout all these tough times, his family was entirely behind him and they were his pillars of strength.

They had to endure so much pressure due to controversies, ranging from sibling rivalry between Azmin, Azwan and Ummi Hafilda, to the infamous oral sex video of Azmin; all he carefully managed and emerged a stronger politician than ever.

Last year was a crucial year for Azmin as he joined forces with Dr Mahathir, and other opposition leaders and parties to form Pakatan Harapan to save this country from kleptocracy and the massive 1MDB scandal.

It was indeed a gamble by Azmin and PKR to reunite with Dr Mahathir, but it was a lesser evil for him to choose as he prioritised national interest over personal vendettas.

Azmin fought like a true general during the 14th general election.

Pakatan Harapan is indebted to his strong will and strategic thinking, which contributed to the win.

I bear witness to all the meetings and campaigns conducted by Azmin before the election, and I have to say that he exudes great leadership and teamwork, which, of course, could be the source of envy for others.

His expertise in economics and mathematics, as well as a good stint as the menteri besar of Selangor made him the best candidate to hold the post as the new economic affairs minister.

With the benefit of hindsight, looking at all the above situations that Azmin encountered and survived, I personally feel that he will also walk away from the current gossip unscathed.

If I were the enemy who devised this morally bankrupt botched political assassination, I would be worried because I know that he’ll rise once again, and that I will be at his mercy.

I pray that he and his family stay strong and continue to lead Malaysia into the future, like he always does.

* Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is youth and sports minister and chief of Bersatu’s Youth wing, Armada.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.