KUALA LUMPUR – With PKR members and the public at large yearning for her to come back to active politics, Nurul Izzah Anwar has to decide for herself on making a return, especially to help shore up the party’s youth strength.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said although Nurul Izzah, who is Permatang Pauh MP, took a step back when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in Putrajaya, she continues to do work for PKR.
"She was elected as the vice-president during the party polls (in 2018) and, of course, there were some disagreements between her and the PH government, especially with former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that triggered her to resign as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
“However, she continues to play an important role as Nurul Izzah's strength in the party is on election matters," he told The Vibes in an interview.
He stressed that the call for a re-emergence of a youthful leadership setup within PKR has grown louder following PH's recent failure to defeat Budget 2021 in Parliament.
Saifuddin was responding to whether Nurul Izzah, popularly known as "Puteri Reformasi", should return to mainstream politics in view of demands for fresh leadership within PH's ranks.
In December 2018, Nurul Izzah, also the eldest daughter of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, resigned as party vice-president and its Penang chairman.
"I personally received many demands from the public and party members on the need for Nurul Izzah to resurface and to come forward and play a prominent role in the party compared with her present role,” said Saifuddin, who is also Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP.
"I leave it to her wisdom to decide on her path to return to the political mainstream. I don't see Nurul Izzah, though, as walking out or shying away. She is actively involved in her constituency and the party."
At present, Saifuddin said he continues to work with Nurul Izzah on the party's preparations for the next general election.
"She is also working closely with (PKR vice-president Mohd) Rafizi Ramli on data analysis and preparations,” he added.
Rafizi had himself announced in December last year that he was quitting politics to focus on his start-up business.
"What makes PKR different from other parties is that we always prepare for elections based on databases,” Saifuddin said.
“We are always guided on a database policy tailored by a clear survey or polling.
"Nurul Izzah and Rafizi are working closely to assist the party in this aspect," he said, adding that he continues to meet her on a weekly basis for updates on their preparations. – The Vibes, December 20, 2020
Additional reporting by Amar Shah Mohsen
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