PETALING JAYA: An analyst believes that Nurul Izzah Anwar is contesting a PKR vice-president’s post at the party elections in May to prove that she can climb the PKR hierarchy on her own.
Nurul Izzah announced on Saturday that she would be defending her vice-presidency in PKR. While she did not contest a post in the 2022 party elections, she was later appointed as a PKR vice-president alongside deputy unity minister K Saraswathy and former Putatan MP Awang Husaini Sahari.
Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said while Nurul Izzah’s position as the daughter of prime minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim would be a topic of discussion, the former Permatang Pauh MP was looking to rise above such discourse.
“She wants to prove that she can compete (on her own) and not rely on her father in the party elections,” he told FMT.
Ariff also said that Nurul Izzah would be able to strengthen her influence and position within the party ahead of the 16th general election if she won a position as vice-president.
The four vice-presidents elected in 2022 were Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari, Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun, and federal ministers Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Chang Lih Kang.
So far, Amirudin, Aminuddin, and Nik Nazmi have announced that they will be defending their positions.
Another federal minister, Fahmi Fadzil, will also be contesting a vice-president’s post.
Nurul Izzah was a three-term MP but lost her Permatang Pauh seat in a shock defeat in the 2022 general election. She was defeated by PAS’s Fawwaz Jan, who wrested the seat with a 5,272-vote majority.
Azmi Hassan, a fellow at the National Professors Council, said Nurul Izzah’s political career was tied to her inclusion in PKR’s senior leadership.
“This election is the right time for Nurul Izzah to stand out, especially considering PKR’s position in the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya was confident that Nurul Izzah could face the other contenders, saying the members and leaders of PKR know her well, given her long service to the party.
Nurul Izzah entered politics after Anwar’s 1998 sacking as deputy prime minister and his subsequent jailing, which sparked the “Reformasi” movement and paved the way for the establishment of Parti Keadilan Nasional, the forerunner of PKR.
“She is not a candidate who was suddenly chosen to contest the party elections… I am confident that Nurul Izzah can win the post,” said Tawfik.
