'Nurul Izzah's appointment is against the concept of Madani', experts say
FILE PIX
A
A
A
The National Council of Professors' senior fellow Professor Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir opined that appointing Nurul Izzah as the senior economic and financial advisor is not a good move.
"In the public's eye, this is against the concept of Madani, good governance, and intergrity.
"This appointment is like giving bullets to the enemy," he reasoned.
Jeniri also said there are many more qualified people than Nurul Izzah for the position of advisor.
"No matter how Anwar tries to reason this appointment, to the public its just the betrayal of what he was trying to fight all this while, his fight against cronyism, nepotism, and corruption," he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia political analyst Datuk Prof Dr Jayum said Anwar's reason for appointing his daughter is somewhat vague.
"Anwar is reasoning out his decision to appoint his daughter, however, his explanations are weak where he said Nurul Izzah's appointment to a top post as a senior advisor on economics and finance, both powerful portfolios within the government although Anwar had said that his daughter is appointed on a pro bono basis.
"However, I can emphatise with Anwar as the party leader and prime minister. If Nurul Izzah is not his daughter, the appointment perhaps would have passed with much fuss.
"So in essence, he is putting his PKR top leadership in various government positions, as this is expected of any political party that has won the mandate to form the government," he said.
On whether Anwar will be able to handle the criticism within the party, Jayum said Anwar has all the powers to do so, adding that he is not new to the political scene.
"Anwar is the President of PKR, Prime Minister, and leader of the Unity Government.
"Yes, he can control the party because there is a huge amount of patronage a PM can dish out to silence his critics within the party if the need arises.
"Failing that, he can take action as other party leaders do, like suspend their membership," he said.
Commenting further, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun feels the allegations of nepotism directed at both Anwar and Nurul Izzah are unfair.
"It is unfair to me as Nurul is neither a dilettante nor a potential cleptocrat like most other nepotistic appointees but a well-qualified politician with prime ministerial prospects who happens to be Anwar’s daughter.
"This is progressive and reformist move, but in this case, recalcitrant and puritanical critics are so hard up on the appointment.
"They (critics) are more than welcome to not come out to vote or to vote for the racially supremacist and religiously extremist Perikan Nasional (PN) in the upcoming state elections, such that they enhance PN’s winning chances and get to live under the puritanical rule of PN, first statewide and then nationally as well.
"These people don’t have the big picture in mind at all," he said.
