JOINING politics for Nurul Izzah Anwar was all about fighting for the rights of the people and creating a better nation for all.
“I have always been an activist at heart and strived to make a difference in the lives of the people.
“Life is at its finest when one makes it count, and as a woman leader I want to add value to the cause,” she said in recollecting what motivated her to become a politician.
She said her toughest years were when her father, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was jailed.
“I have always believed that a true leader must be prepared to be forgotten as the cause is always greater than the person.
“At times, circumstances force you into a cause and for me, the events in 1998 determined the direction for me,” she said.
Nurul Izzah, who is co-head of the secretariat for the Advisory Committee to the finance minister was speaking at the third segment of the “Inspiring Women Series Tea and Talk” session yesterday evening.
The former Permatang Pauh MP also said the role of a politician is not only challenging, but one that changes according to circumstances.
“Another reason I ventured into politics is to fill gaps left by others. I had the honour of serving the people as an MP and I sincerely urge everyone here to play their roles in the next general election.
“Everyone has a role to play and we must understand that we are all in it together for a better future,” she said.
‘Secret sauce’ for economy
Speaking on her role in the advisory committee to the finance minister, she said part of her duties is to assist the committee with views powered by economists, financial analysts, and related experts.
“Subsidies which are unproductive should be rationalised and the savings gained could be used for more productive ventures and to buttress our social safety net.
“We are also working on reducing the government’s debts and helping make our nation move economically into the future,” she added.
“Currently I am assisting Tan Sri Hassan Marican and other advisors to provide feedback and suggestions to the Finance Ministry, and also doing my part to promote women entrepreneurs,” she added.
The PKR vice-president also pointed out that SMEs constitute the backbone of the economy, and that the government needed to discover the “secret sauce” that would help SMEs move to the next level.
“Policies then need to be developed which can help enhance and improve this ‘sauce’ to help SMEs more and take greater steps to level up in future,” she added.
Female empowerment and NGOs
She stressed that there was definitely more that could be done for women entrepreneurs in Malaysia. For example, as suggested by the United Nations, a certain percentage of all procurement could be set aside for women entrepreneurs.
“This is something that could be considered in Malaysia to help women in business,” she said.
She also called on all women in the country to support each other in every way they could.
She also stressed that more female empowerment was vital and certain targets needed to be set to help women in the country.
For example, she said setting up more childcare centres would greatly help and encourage more women to return to work and contribute to the national economy.
“Women always feel they have a greater role to play as mothers and put their families first.
“However, empowering them with the means to ensure their families are safe while they are at work would greatly encourage them to take the next step,” she said.
Nurul Izzah also said non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have an important role in the country as they could help reach out to segments which the government may not be aware of.
“For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government could not reach out to everyone, and NGOs played a vital role in reaching out to the people.
“I would like to take this opportunity to call upon these NGOs to organise and work based on their respective strengths as we look to a more efficient disbursement of aid powered by the third sector – an important component of Ekonomi Madani,” she added. – The Vibes, November 24, 2023
