By Niza Shimi
What else could be the reason for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to appoint his daughter as his senior adviser for economics and finance other than as preparation for her to be a future PM? That’s what crossed my mind, anyway.
This isn’t something new because when Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States (POTUS) he appointed his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner as his senior advisers at the White House. Both were unpaid.
There was a hue and cry about Trump practicing nepotism and cronyism but Ivanka and Jared stayed until the end of his term. Much has been said about it but most assumed that it was because Trump didn’t trust many people except his daughter and son in law.
It was widely speculated that Ivanka and Jared both had ambitions to be POTUS one day, as implied by Ivana (Ivanka’s mother) in her 2017 memoir, titled “Raising Trump: Family Values from America's First Mother”. First hand experience of what goes on in the corridors of power in the White House was the best training.
Could Anwar have been inspired by Trump? Is that why Nurul Izzah is now his unpaid senior adviser too, despite not having any actual experience in economics and financial affairs?
According to the (now Economics Minister) Rafizi Ramli-owned Invoke Solution 2022 survey, it showed that Nurul Izzah is even more popular than Anwar himself having polled at 49 percent compared to Anwar’s 28 percent of positive views.
But that was before Anwar became the 10th Prime Minister (PMX) following the formation of the Unity Government with Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional and other coalitions when none achieved simple majority.
With the appointment of his daughter as senior adviser on January 3, 2023 recently announced by Nurul Izzah, there were cries of nepotism by netizens and analysts alike, as would be expected.
More 'memes' are being created poking fun at the recently unveiled Malaysia MADANI concept as meaning “Mengutamakan Anak DAN Isteri” (prioritising daughter and wife) or My Anak DAN BIni (My daughter and wife). Some say Nurul Izzah's job is to keep an eye on her father.
Others say Nurul Izzah is not qualified in economics and finance to be a senior adviser but PMX disputes that.
According to FMT, Anwar said Nurul Izzah had a first degree in engineering and a second degree in public and social policy from Johns Hopkins University in the US. She will assist him in the Prime Minister’s Department and the finance ministry.
“Even I don’t have a finance-related degree or certificate, but I was the finance minister for eight years (in the 1990s),” Anwar added.
Of course, Nurul Izzah is a seasoned politician having been at the forefront of the Reformasi movement that was formed when her father was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998. She also became an elected Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai in 2008. She later contested and won the Permatang Pauh constituency in 2018 until she lost the seat in the 15th general elections in 2022.
Considering that PMX already has renowned corporate player Tan Sri Hassan Marican heading a team of advisers on finance and Rafizi as Economics Minister, is there any need to have Nurul Izzah as his adviser? What can she bring to the table?
What would be the implication of access to government secrets and what would be the official duties of Nurul Izzah? What if disputes arise between the PMX and his daughter? Would that lead to the situation Trump faced? Apparently, Trump nearly fired his daughter and son in law.
In 2013, Tun Dr Mahathir predicted that nepotism and cronyism will rule the Cabinet if Anwar became PM. Writing in his chedet.cc blog, Tun M said “If he becomes prime minister certainly the Cabinet will be filled with his family and his friends as ministers. Easy to do anything.”
Is Nurul Izzah in training to be a future PM? Is appointing your daughter as senior adviser not nepotism if she is unpaid? Is it ethical?
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