What are you trying to prove, grassroots ask Nurul Izzah
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PKR lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar’s sudden resignation from all party posts has puzzled the grassroots in Penang, said party insiders.
“Everyone is asking why she did it. Akar umbi pun pening (the grassroots are confused),” an insider told The Malaysian Insight following the Permatang Pauh MP’s bombshell statement yesterday.
Nurul Izzah quit as party vice-president, a post she retained after winning the most votes among all contenders, and as Penang party chief, a post she was just appointed on Sunday.
She would leave it to the party leadership to decide on her state-level roles in companies linked to the Penang government, adding that she would also no longer serve the federal government “in any capacity”.
The insider said no one was convinced that Nurul Izzah merely wanted to focus on serving Permatang Pauh as MP, questioning the real reason she quit her posts.
“The excuse is not strong enough. If it is so, why take the trouble to contest in the elections? Why not just do NGO (non-governmental organisation) work?
The confusion and lack of understanding on her resignation are only causing speculations, which would create uncertainty in the party, the insider said.
He said Nurul Izzah’s social media posts on recent defections left people making assumptions and their own conclusions.
He was referring to her tweet on Sunday which stated: “Betrayal of mandate given the 9th of May, insults those who are loyal to the cause. Our party was attacked before by defections. Wouldn’t want that kind of pain and antics upon anyone else. There is no meaning to democracy if Malaysia is governed by elite based politicking.”
Though she mentioned no party, it is understood she meant the defections of MPs and members from Umno. Some have left to be independents while others have joined Pakatan Harapan parties Bersatu and Warisan, or waiting to join.
The defections have given rise to talk of a power struggle between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of Bersatu and prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim of PKR, Nurul Izzah’s father.
“I would be lying if I say there is no internal conflict among the party leadership. Surely there had been disagreements about things… maybe on views and actions,” the insider said.
“But this ‘nampak tak cantik la’ (improper). She didn’t have to go as far as resigning from her posts. It makes things seem very serious.
“What are you (Nurul Izzah) trying to say? What’s the game here?”
Another Penang PKR man told The Malaysian Insight that there was much speculation about Nurul Izzah’s sudden resignation.
To him, among the “most logical” speculation was the Umno defections and the alleged power struggle between Dr Mahathir and Anwar, who is PKR president.
“Perhaps it is supposed to be a message to Dr Mahathir that he should keep his word (on Anwar taking over after two years).”
The PKR source said Anwar had long used his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is deputy prime minister and PKR advisory council chairman, in politics so he might be using his daughter now in his political manoeuvres.
The source said he believed Dr Mahathir has a positive impression of Nurul Izzah.
It was Nurul Izzah who had gone to London to convince the Bersatu chairman not to give up on PH last year when the new opposition alliance failed to agree on the candidate for prime minister ahead of the 14th general election.
Anwar was still in jail then. He was only released from prison with a royal pardon in May shortly after PH took over Putrajaya.
In October, Anwar contested and won the Port Dickson parliamentary seat, which was vacated for his return to the Dewan Rakyat.
In 1998, Dr Mahathir was prime minister and Anwar his deputy until they had a falling out that saw the latter sacked, accused of corruption and sodomy, and jailed.
Anwar’s fall from grace started the reformasi movement and gave birth to PKR. – December 18, 2018.