The Malaysian Insight

ON Thursday, Spain’s new prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, saw a 17-member cabinet, comprising 11 women and six men, take office.

In his cabinet, women hold key posts, such as deputy prime minister, economic minister and justice minister. In some ways, that’s true for Malaysia, too, in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s new cabinet.

But when he completes his cabinet as early as this week, one name might still be missing. And that name is Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Again, The Malaysian Insight understands that her absence in the Mahathir government isn’t from a lack of trying by the 92-year-old prime minister.

He offered the PKR vice-president and election director when he named the first set of ministers. And, he offered again for the set of ministers to be named soon.

But, it appears that PKR and its leadership under her father and de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, believe that she shouldn’t be named for reasons best known to themselves. Could it be nepotism, as her mother is Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail? Or that Anwar will eventually be prime minister?

It is understandable that a daughter will not go against her father’s wishes, or even a party member against the party’s commands.

But this is a grown woman, a mother of two and a politician who had learnt early on from her teenage years, when she accompanied her mother to help lead a party seeking justice for her father, who was jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.

This is a politician who became the party’s most successful election director with PKR winning 47 seats, together with its allies including Dr Mahathir.

Can you imagine the experience she has and the lessons she has learnt over the past 20 years? Can you imagine what she can offer to the Mahathir administration and learn from the veteran politician herself, before Anwar takes over as prime minister?

Dr Mahathir has named those with experience and those new to politics in his cabinet, which aims to save and fix a country that he believes is off tangent. He needs a team that shares his belief and work ethic.

He could do with Nurul Izzah in his team. And, her party needs to know that this post isn’t a reward, but a recognition that it has the leaders needed for the hard work ahead.

Sidelining Nurul Izzah now and, perhaps, forever is a disservice to Malaysia and Malaysians, who need the best team now for the hard work ahead.

Anwar and PKR need to think this through. They have won the May 9 polls. Now, it’s time to work and offer the best to Malaysia from among themselves for this job. – June 10, 2018.