KUALA LUMPUR: Their father may be the Prime Minister of the country but life for Riza Shahriz, Nooriyana Najwa and Norashman Razak is just the same as any other Malaysian.

In a Bernama report, the children of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said they did not receive any special treatment and their lives have not changed despite their father holding the most powerful position in the nation.

Living abroad has also taught Riza Shahriz, 31, Nooriyana, 21, and Norashman, 18, to be more independent as they complete their own chores.

"When we return to our lives in London or Washington DC, we still clean our own rooms and take out the garbage," said Nooriyana when met at the KL International Airport yesterday.

Nooriyana is a second year political studies student at Georgetown University in the American capital while Norashman is studying International Relations in the same university. Riza Shahriz has been involved in the corporate financial sector in London for the past seven years.

Norashman said his parents were proud of him and his siblings because they achieved success through hard work and not based on their family ties to Najib.

Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who was also present, said she wanted her children to lead normal lives and did not allow them to have any special treatment.

"They still need to go through ordinary immigration procedures and carry their own luggage," she said.

Nooriyana said the most important thing that she and her siblings can do to help their father was to behave well so that Najib would be able to concentrate 150% on his responsibilities.

Asked if they would follow in Najib's footsteps and be involved in politics, Norashman said it was too early to decide while Nooriyana said one needed to have certain qualities to be a good leader.

"I think people always perceive that it is easy to be a leader. But growing up with my father, we see how hard he worked and the sacrifices he made. It is not merely for publicity. You need to have the capability to be a good leader," Nooriyana said.

Riza Shahriz said his father has never forced any of them to get involved in politics.

"But he told us to do our best in everything that we do. Regardless if it was politics, accountancy, law or banking, he insisted that we contributed to the nation," he said, adding that his father's strength was his sharp mind.

-The Star/Asia News Network