Putting the best in the cabinet

Jahabar Sadiq Jahabar Sadiq Updated 7 years ago · Published on 10 Jun 2018 7:00AM · 10 Comments

Sidelining PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar now and, perhaps, forever is a disservice to Malaysia and Malaysians. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 10, 2018.

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.

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Comments

  • It's not just Nurul we should be taking about today....IF our Education, JPA and other entities were to look at seer qualification in awarding the BEST for the country, we woul dbe short in talent today as Bolehland needs talented and smart folks irrespective of RACE & RELIGION to move our country forward. Why must it ALWAYS be a MALAY that MUST head or lead an entity? THIS MUST OPEN UP...all these talk about MARA and UITM are BS. Provide the best with the platform and see what they can do .... we are headed with these batch of Leaders since these Malay 1st policy been implemented some 50 years ago .... look at the damage and corruption that has led us. Pick the best and they will do what they're suppose to do....if that means Nurul has to be in the Cabinet, let that be too.....afterall she has proven her loyalty to her country unlike those goons at UMNO......Goodluck!

    Posted 7 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

    • ....... we lost Pulau Batu Putih, didn't we ....... other countries chose their smartest ...... our country, you guess-lah .... we SURE will lose in all international negotiations and disputes .....

      Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Aiyah, even a numbskull like me can guess (or are you indirectly hinting?) ....... Who want to bet a parliament seat will be vacant soon?

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Frankly, they should have thought of a way for her to be Selangor Menteri Besar instead. She is capable on national issue, but she is better at local and state issue, she has the charisma. Frankly a couple of terms as MB and she can go toe to toe with anyone for the TOP post. Forget the Minister post.

    Posted 7 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

    • Alamak! ....... didn't you know "Selangor MB Crisis 2.0" is playing now .....

      Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Though young and capable, she still needs to learn to get away from micro-managing issues. From what she said in the past were mostly about Anwar and refomasi. She needs to think big, think smart, think strategy before she could be entrusted with bigger responsibility.

    Posted 7 years ago by Awang Top · Reply

  • Nurul is a matured politician now. She has all the qualifications, capability, experience and empathy for the down trodden which are qualities for a leader. Although she was jettisoned into politics because of her father, that does not give him the right to hinder her progress in politics. I strongly believe she can be prime ministerial material if given the opportunity. It would be a waste of great talent which our country ill afford at this point in time. Anwar must rethink about Nurul's future. Yes some people will accuse of nepotism in PH. If she does not have the potential I don't think TDM will offer to include her in the line up of the cabinet.

    Posted 7 years ago by Saham san · Reply

  • Yes, we agree Nurul is good. But, Lim Kit Siang is good, Tan Kok Wei MP Cheras work 32 years as MP is good, and many many more is good.
    I am blunt to say, yes, we rakyat does not like it when minister posts become a family affair. Do not blame anyone or Tun when one has a mother as a DPM and a father Desperately wants to be a PM. As good as Nurul, she is absolutely still "young" in Malaysia political life. She merely did it for her father. Since her father is free now, she will have problem finding her place in anywhere else. Re...think... her position before just put forward and said she is good.

    Posted 7 years ago by Sepilok Fui · Reply

  • Having followed the political development and politicians in Malaysia for many years as a concerned citizen, Nurul Izzah easily stood out as one of the most outstanding young politicians today. She had fought hard in Parliament for the cause she believed in and her involvement in recent successful PH political campaign, had endeared her to many Malaysian regardless of race and ages. Intelligent and witty, she has conducted herself with both grace and grit, has become one of the most recognisable and charismatic public figures today. Through PKR, she has championed the reformist ideal to transform Malaysia into a more equitable, corruption free and progressive nation. This reformist agenda is now being pursued and implemented by the new government under Tun Dr Mahatir. The new administration should seize the opportunity to utilise her abilities and her positive profile. Nurul Izzah could become a catalyst to inspire and lead the nation youth to rise up and work toward the nation building.

    She is an independent person and should be judged on her very own performance and not to be buried in the shadow of her famous parents. She should be treated just like any qualified politicians, to be assigned an important portfolio or helped with many areas of improvement that the country desperately needs. Although her mother is DPM, but Tun Dr Mahatir is not her relative, the issue of nepotism should not arise, in order to dispel that perception, she could be given a fixed tenure to coincide with that of Tun Dr Mahatir.

    Malaysia should give Nurul Izzah the opportunity to contribute as part of the new Management team, the rakyat would hope to see that she becomes one of the important nation builders and not fade away as an MP of a regional town.

    Posted 7 years ago by Boon Chu · Reply

  • Nurul has certainly matured n a young woman with plenty of leadership qualities.She should be given a ministerial posts the moment DSAI becomes PM n puan Azizah should resign to give way the another leader of component coalition party.Pakatan Harapan must harvest the talents of members from whichever component coalition partners irrespective of how many MPs the party has in the coalition.PKR should not insist that they should have more ministers not forgetting the contributory efforts of the partners.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Thian Siong · Reply