KUALA LUMPUR – Talks surrounding Nurul Izzah Anwar's nomination as PKR Deputy President in the upcoming party elections have sparked mixed reactions among grassroots members and political observers, including raising the issue of nepotism.
While many see her as the ideal heir, this move is seen as too early and carries a high risk to public perception.
Speaking to Scoop, Geostrategist and Senior Fellow at the Nusantara Strategic Research Academy (NASR), Associate Professor Azmi Hassan said that the situation is reminiscent of the clever political strategy adopted by former Singaporean prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
"I can use the analogy of when Lee Kuan Yew was about to step down as Prime Minister of Singapore, even though he had the full power and influence to appoint his son, Lee Hsien Loong, as his successor.
"Kuan Yew chose to appoint Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister first, while Hsien Loong was trained as deputy.
"This step was taken to avoid accusations of nepotism and to give his son time and space to build his own credibility.
"This approach should be a lesson for the PKR leadership, especially Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is now in his final term as party President.
"The position of Deputy President is not just a symbol of internal support, but indirectly paves the way for the candidate to become the next President — and most likely, a candidate for Prime Minister if PKR continues to lead the government.
"In this context, putting Nurul Izzah as the main candidate for the second highest position in the party while Anwar is still President will create an unhealthy perception of the principles of transparency and democracy that have been the foundation of PKR's struggle," he said today.
He said that even if Nurul Izzah is truly a future leader, the process should not be rushed.
"As Kuan Yew did, the time to build experience, exposure and grassroots influence is far more important to ensure that the trust of the party and the people is built organically," he said.
He said that what is needed now is firmness and clarity of stance from Anwar himself.
"Anwar needs to speak out and cannot remain silent on this matter. If he wants to reject negative perceptions, he needs to state that support for Nurul Izzah is not a special path, but a process that goes through merit, experience and readiness.
"Pushing Nurul Izzah too early into a high party position not only tarnishes PKR's image.
"This is what needs to be instilled in PKR members who are now lobbying for support because it can be seen as an action that weakens the internal democracy of the party itself," he said.
The election for the PKR Deputy President position became the focus of attention after Nurul Izzah, who is also the former Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh, received a lot of support to contest.
So far, most of the PKR divisions in Selangor, Perak, Pahang, Johor, Kedah and Melaka, as well as the top leadership of the PKR Women and Youth wings, have expressed support for her.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya political analyst, Mohammad Tawfiq Yaakub, is of the view that the issue of nepotism does not apply to Nurul Izzah because all members and Malaysians know that she has been actively involved from the beginning of PKR's development and struggle.
"In fact, her current position as Vice President actually qualifies her to be in the cabinet or other important positions in government-linked companies (GLCs), but she has proven that there is no need to do so even though she is qualified by virtue of holding a high position in PKR.
"Therefore, I see that she has been tested enough, complete with the package of a future leader of the party and the country.
"In fact, it is not an exaggeration for me to state that no one can deny the strength of her soul, experience and loyalty to the point of being able to erase the potential claims of nepotism that may arise.
"There are many other leaders who clearly practiced nepotism before, such as in Bersatu when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as the party Chairman and the 8th Prime Minister at the time, appointed Datuk Seri Mukhriz, who was also the Deputy President, as the Chief Minister of Kedah. This is real and obvious nepotism," he said. - May 7, 2025
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