▁ ▁Early ▁life , ▁education ▁and ▁career ▁▁ ▁Z air il ▁attended ▁the ▁Mult imedia ▁University ▁in ▁Cy ber j aya , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Information ▁Systems ▁Engineering . ▁He ▁then ▁received ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Arts ▁from ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Oriental ▁and ▁African ▁Studies , ▁University ▁of ▁London . ▁Upon ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Malays ia , ▁he ▁started ▁Ch oc ol ab , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁Chief ▁Executive ▁Officer . ▁In ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁business ▁to ▁purs ue ▁politics ▁full - time . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁ ▁Entry ▁into ▁politics ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Z air il ▁joined ▁the ▁D AP , ▁a ▁leading ▁party ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁U M NO - led ▁national ▁government . ▁The ▁choice ▁— ▁given ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁U M NO ▁politician ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁rare ▁Mal ay ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁D AP ▁— ▁attract ed ▁significant ▁attention . ▁He ▁claimed ▁that ▁U M NO ▁had ▁changed ▁for ▁the ▁worse ▁since ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁politician , ▁and ▁that ▁" after ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁of ▁[ UM NO ] ▁rule , ▁the ▁situation ▁is ▁such ▁that ▁people ▁are ▁being ▁colon ised , ▁opp ress ed ▁by ▁our ▁own ▁people , ▁we ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁any ▁freedom ." ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Political ▁Secretary ▁to ▁D AP ▁Secretary - General ▁Lim ▁Gu an ▁Eng ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁February ▁