NewzPKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar greeting Wanita PKR delegates at the Melaka International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh.HANG TUAH JAYA: In one of her last speeches before taking a leave of absence as PKR deputy president, Nurul Izzah Anwar urged the party to remain true to its principles and guard against becoming what it once fought against.The former Permatang Pauh MP said being in power should not cause PKR to lose sight of the values that drove its struggle for reforms during its time in the opposition."We need to remain true to ourselves," she said in officiating the opening of the Wanita PKR and PKR Youth congresses at the Melaka International Trade Centre here."We need to remember, as much as possible, to avoid becoming what we hate most about our opponents. We must always be vigilant when we have power."The PKR deputy president said the party should constantly ask itself whether its actions served personal interests or the greater good."If you cannot bear to look at the man or woman in the mirror, then you better change your ways."Last week, PKR announced that Nurul Izzah would be taking a temporary leave of absence from her duties as deputy president after the party’s congress this weekend.Nurul Izzah said she decided to relinquish her position to further her studies, and that serving the people was not necessarily tied to politics.Political compromise shouldn't mean abandoning principlesIn her speech, Nurul Izzah also talked about the types of compromise PKR faced, warning that being in the government brought short-term political temptations that could be disguised as pragmatism."There are two types of compromise. One is compromise for the greater good," she said, adding that this included working with Dr Mahathir Mohamad to oust the Najib Razak administration."The other is a compromise that opens the door for evil and corruption to take root.
The lines that you will never cross."She said PKR's approach had always been about staying moderate and pragmatic without abandoning its principles. "That is the heart of reformasi," she added.Nurul Izzah also said leadership was ultimately about safeguarding the people's trust, not possessing power, urging PKR's youth and women's wings to do so by ensuring that "Reformasi" was not merely an empty slogan. Former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar was elected PKR deputy president during the party's elections last May.HANG TUAH JAYA: PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who is set to take a leave of absence from the post, today brushed off the criticism levelled against her since her defeat in the 2022 general election (GE15).Nurul Izzah said some found her defeat in the family seat of Permatang Pauh unacceptable, while her election as PKR deputy president last year also drew the ire of certain quarters."For some people, it was unacceptable that I was not elected in GE15.
And for some people, it was unacceptable that I won (the PKR deputy presidency) in 2025. "And for others, it was just unacceptable that I am relinquishing (the deputy president’s post) in 2026. You cannot please everyone," she said when officiating the opening of the Wanita PKR and PKR Youth congresses at the Melaka International Trade Centre here.Nurul Izzah, a former three-term MP, lost the Permatang Pauh seat in GE15 to PAS’s Fawwaz Jan, who won with a majority of 5,272 votes.Permatang Pauh had been considered the family seat of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
It had been held by him, his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah since 1982.Nurul Izzah secured the PKR deputy presidency last May, taking over from Rafizi Ramli who later resigned as economy minister and Pandan MP as well as from PKR as a whole. He subsequently launched Bersama with former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.Last week, PKR announced that Nurul Izzah would be taking a temporary leave of absence from her duties as party deputy president after the party’s congress this weekend.She later said she decided to relinquish her position as PKR deputy president to further her studies.
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