MUCH has been said and written about the appointment of Nurul Izzah Anwar as senior adviser on finance and economics to her father Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The optics have not been good on this one and the prime minister has been on the defensive to justify her appointment.
Among the criticisms is that Nurul Izzah was not even able to hold the family stronghold of Permatang Pauh which she lost to PAS in the last general election.
More pressingly, she is not known for her economic ideas as much as those she has on education.
For instance, she has been a champion of technical and vocational education training, so one assumes there would not be such an uproar if she was appointed special adviser to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
The perception is that Fadhlina has been punching above her weight and needs all the help she can get.
Nurul Izzah is also in want of qualifications in economics or finance, possessing a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional, and a master’s degree in international relations specialising in Southeast Asian studies from John Hopkins University.
However, from tertiary education alone, she is more qualified than her father who has taken the finance minister portfolio. Anwar has a bachelor’s degree in Malay studies and a master’s degree in Malay literature from Universiti Malaya.
Yet, he was named among the world’s best finance ministers by numerous media and financial organisations in the 1990s.
So the question is what can Nurul Izzah bring to the table? Perhaps she will complement the likes of another adviser, former Petronas chief executive officer and president Tan Sri Hassan Marican.
Nurul Izzah has always had the ability to relate to the masses when it comes to issues such as the cost of living and accessible education.
Her stint on the Public Accounts Committee also works to her advantage during which she scrutinised contracts and financial statements.
Her father did say that one of Nurul Izzah’s roles was to pore over tenders and government contracts.
Despite all these qualifications, she still has one thing going against her – that she is the daughter of the prime minister, who is also her father.
Perhaps if the reporting line is amended to another minister or deputy minister, the critics would be more accepting – notwithstanding the conversations at the dinner table which would suffice as “advice”.
That she does not draw a salary is not enough to appease the court of public opinion, as being the gatekeeper of her father’s office and her influence on tenders will create a beeline of businessmen and special interest groups wanting an appointment with her.
One silver lining is that among all the children and in-laws of prime ministers, Anwar’s family has never courted the kind of controversy that dogged his predecessors.
They have always been seen to live in moderation, work regular jobs, and are not linked to any conglomerates which received government contracts.
They do not drive flashy cars, wear designer clothes or live in mansions. Nor do they have vacations in exotic destinations and post “lifestyles of the rich and famous” on social media.
All these are well and good but the question remains: “Isn’t there anyone else?”
Perhaps, it is a matter of trust for a politician who has been betrayed and disappointed by those closest to him. Perhaps, Anwar feels that something as crucial as protecting taxpayers in his reform agenda can only be entrusted to a family member who herself has never been known to seek riches.
Many fear – or even wish that Nurul Izzah will succumb to the temptations that come with her power. One hopes she will yield to one of her greatest – the power to resist. – The Vibes, February 3, 2023
Terence Fernandez is managing editor at The Vibes
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