THE past two months have been particularly tough for PKR leader Nurul Izzah Anwar.
A hectic 15th General Election (GE15) campaign in November took a toll on her, and culminated in her unexpectedly losing in her constituency of Permatang Pauh, Penang.
As Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim set off to form the Unity Government, Nurul Izzah was also busy working behind the scenes to put the foundations in place. This included crisscrossing the country to talk to people to plan for the Budget. But she paid a heavy price: she suffered a miscarriage.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday Star since that personal tragedy, Nurul Izzah, 42, talks about what she’s been doing and how she will continue to serve the rakyat in her new role in government.
First of all, I wish to say I am sorry to hear the news of your miscarriage.
Thank you kindly. I felt by sharing I could somehow lend a voice to so many other women and their loved ones who shared similar experiences.
Naturally, I am sad, but God always has better plans for everything. So we soldier on, remain hopeful and grateful for all the wonderful blessings in life.
How has the GE15 loss affected you?
I have been in politics for a while now – as my friends say, I’m an “old” young face! I was first elected as MP back in 2008 at the age of 27 but was involved even earlier during the setting up of PKR in 2003.
It’s been more than two decades since my involvement in activism and later politics proper began, and since then I’ve participated in four elections.
What started as a journey to seek justice for my family evolved into a mission to bring justice to all Malaysians. So as disappointing as it is for me personally, it doesn’t matter if Nurul Izzah loses, it’s more important that Malaysians win.
If anything, my electoral loss in GE15 has only strengthened my resolve to serve the people and work on reforms for better governance across the board. To me, I regard it as a temporary setback.
Will you remain active in politics?
Of course! I am currently serving my fourth stint as a VP of Keadilan. I’m still very much involved in serving my party.
But leadership is more than just about partisan politics – it is about service.
There are other avenues to participate in to bring about reforms. While I may not be in Parliament to serve the rakyat, I am now serving the government in shaping public policy and putting policy into practice.
What have you been doing after GE15 as it appears that you have stayed away from the limelight?
I have been serving as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister on Economics and Finance effective Jan 3, 2023.
It is my fervent hope that my past experience in the legislature as an MP, work on poverty and technical and vocational education, and service on the Public Accounts Committee can be leveraged in my engagement with experts in navigating economic governance, accountability, and evidence-based policies.
One of my goals is to channel and leverage the talents of Malaysia’s best and brightest, both within and outside the government, to add value to the ongoing efforts to improve the rakyat’s economic situation.
I am also a firm believer in listening to people directly. As part of our Budget preparations, we have not only been meeting business groups and the usual stakeholders, but we have also been seeking input from the people, especially those in the B40 group, and not forgetting the M40 group.
The instruction from the PM was clear: talk to the rakyat and listen to their ideas, concerns, and expectations. They are the most important stakeholders of all.
In the years that you have been in politics, you have emerged a leader in your own right. Tell us about your journey in leadership. How do you see this evolving in your new role?
Since my first stint in politics during the spark of the Reformasi movement, to the present day, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot from various leaders whom I look up to.
Values are important. An effective leader espouses compassion and humility, while at the same time being able to make tough decisions and never losing sight of the bigger picture.
Leadership is not about personal glory or seeking glory, leaders must recognise and nurture talent and connect these individuals to opportunities to further improve their skills and abilities for the sake of society.
My new roles will allow me to take on new responsibilities that are no doubt challenging given the economic headwinds we are facing. However, I am confident of being able to contribute to the evolution of a Malaysia that not only seeks growth for growth’s sake, but one that elevates all strata of society and provides equity in opportunities.
Our youth must have hope in Malaysia. Things may not improve overnight, but the decisions we make today will determine the Malaysia that they inherit tomorrow.
The Prime Minister recently spoke of Malaysia Madani*, what is your personal view about what he has articulated? Is Malaysia ready for this?
At its core, the concept of Madani is a call for a “civilised” Malaysia – entailing the rejection of corruption and of disharmonious or undemocratic practices.
It is not an idea alien to Malaysians; these concepts are already embodied by our national philosophies and values, including the Rukun Negara.
As you have written in a recent article, the PM has been talking about Madani since the early 1990s. It simply boils down to good governance, embracing diversity, and creating a fair and just system.
But it’s important that all of us – not just the government – must make this a reality and not just talk. Not mere slogans and big words. The people must be able to relate to it and benefit from it.
So how does the Madani policy benefit the people?
This philosophy is not new – the masyarakat Madani concept was discussed by Anwar 26 years ago. Kemasyarakatan, or community empowerment and inclusiveness, remains the core.
This is the philosophy used during my years as an MP. Projects must be sustainable and centred on community empowerment instead of just being one-off projects. The Permatang Pauh Social Impact Agenda, for example, focuses on empowering the community, that is why many projects include collaboration with local universities and experts to empower the community.
Malaysia is blessed as we have a caring and compassionate society. One need only look to the recent pandemic and floods to see how we banded together to help each other during times of crisis.
However, there are efforts to disrupt the harmony by politicising differences rather than celebrating togetherness. It makes it all the more important for us to ensure that our communities are empowered and driven by the right socioeconomic agenda to face further challenges.
Many Malaysians are concerned by what has been termed the Green Wave, with PAS making gains in the Malay heartland. What is your view?
The results of GE15 have proven that no political party can form the federal government without the other key components, especially from Sabah and Sarawak.
No one party can do without the other parties. That was why the Unity Government was formed.
Malaysia is multiracial and multi-religious. This is why Keadilan is open to all races. For the first time in our history, the country’s PM is from a multiracial party and that is significant.
I won’t go into the hypocrisy of politicians using religion to justify poor governance. Most Malaysians want a PM and a government that embraces diversity and practises good governance.
It is incumbent upon us to demonstrate that we have the will to govern in a manner that is just, progressive and fair both in social and economic terms.
*Madani is an acronym for a policy under the Malaysia Unity Government that embraces six core values: keMampanan (sustainability), kesejAhteraan (prosperity), Daya cipta (innovation), hormAt (respect), keyakiNan (trust) and Ihsan (compassion).
