KUALA LUMPUR: As Malaysia gears up for potential snap polls amid shifting political alliances, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) continues to hog the spotlight, with the latest development being the replacement of its deputy president, Nurul Izzah Anwar, as party co-election director.
The sudden sidelining of Nurul Izzah, 45, has raised questions about her political future, nepotism, and internal fractures that could threaten the party’s direction ahead of a highly anticipated general election.
Talk that the eldest daughter of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had quit as deputy president and left the party has also been making the rounds.
The Puteri Reformasi has yet to publicly address such chatter, and her continued silence has fuelled speculation.
There has also been talk that she might join Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) – the political party spearheaded by her ally-turned-rival, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
Rafizi was quick to dismiss such suggestions, but party insiders say it is not the first time rumours of her quitting the party have surfaced.
“Nurul Izzah can be a bit emotional. Although she sometimes has a tendency to put the cart before the horse, we believe she is still with us,” said a party insider.
Despite her role as PKR election director being taken over by party vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, long-time loyalists described the move as necessary to allow Nurul Izzah to focus on building the party machinery’s capacity and strengthening grassroots operations.
But in the labyrinthine world of Malaysian politics, a sudden change in party titles is rarely just administrative – it could be an earthquake masquerading as a press release.
“She is paying the price for the party’s failure in the Sabah state election,” said another PKR insider.
“But everyone is being polite about it.”
PKR managed to secure only one seat despite contesting 12 in the election held last November. Nurul Izzah was quick to shoulder the blame, saying she took full responsibility for the outcome along with her co-election director, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
“Clearly, her new role is a demotion, but it is also necessary as we will soon be facing the general election. She only took up the position of election director in February 2025, and the Sabah election was held nine months later.
“Sabah was a total wipeout. She is not prepared to shoulder such responsibility,” said the insider.
Earlier this week, PKR said Nurul Izzah would lead the electronic election campaign system powered by artificial intelligence, introduced last month to improve the party’s election preparedness and efficiency ahead of the general election.
The Teras system, said to be Nurul Izzah’s brainchild, was developed to support the party’s campaign machinery, from voter data management to field operations and targeted communications.
The system is intended to map voter sentiment, but some party insiders and election hopefuls say that while AI plays a role, the party’s performance – including decisions on candidate placement – will ultimately come down to Anwar.
Another long-time PKR member believes Nurul Izzah’s removal is a tactical move to ensure her political survival.
“Nurul Izzah has been groomed to lead the party. If PKR does not secure as many seats as before in the general election, fingers will be pointed at her,” said the senior member.
“Regardless of whether Anwar becomes prime minister again, PKR’s future, especially in government, lies with Nurul Izzah.
“She will be the bargaining chip if Anwar is to make way as PKR negotiates pacts to form the next government.”
