Nurul Izzah rises on legitimacy not family ties - Political analyst

SHAH ALAM - Nurul Izzah Anwar did not just ride on her family name. She built her own path through years of public service, political resilience and technocratic credibility.

As her name resurfaced in speculation over Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) deputy presidency, an analyst said her rise in politics reflected more legitimacy than legacy.

O2 Research Malaysia (O2) chief researcher Anis Anwar Suhaimi said Nurul Izzah’s long track record as an MP, her leadership roles and her advisory work on national economic issues have shaped her identity well beyond just the daughter of Prime Minister and party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"Nurul Izzah has not appeared from the shadows. She has served in Parliament for over a decade, held leadership roles including within the Public Accounts Committee and more recently in a technocratic capacity advising on national economic matters," he told Sinar Daily.

Within PKR, where internal rivalries have sharpened in the post-government era, Anis said Nurul Izzah’s political capital may lie precisely in her neutrality.

He said unlike other senior figures embroiled in past factional disputes, Nurul Izzah has largely stayed above the fray, positioning her as a potential unifier in a party struggling to realign its reformist identity.

"She does not carry the scars of previous factional wars and that in itself is political capital.

"Her credibility cuts across PKR’s ideological spectrum, which is rare in a party often torn between pragmatism and idealism," he added.

He said the PKR vice-president's supporters within the grassroots saw her not just as a legacy figure but as a bridge between the party’s founding mission and a new generation of leadership.

For many, he said especially party members, Nurul Izzah was the living memory of the original Reformasi movement.

He said she was not just born into it, but grew up shaping and being shaped by it.

"So when branches and divisions begin rallying behind her, it is not simply because of her family name but because she carries a message of unfinished business that still resonates deeply with the grassroots," he said.

However, he said her potential candidacy was not without criticism.

He said political dynasties were deeply embedded in Malaysia’s political fabric.

He added that family ties still have a strong influence over political succession and decision-making at all levels from the federal leadership down to divisions and grassroots and PKR was no exception.

"They are not an anomaly, they are structural. Across party lines, from Umno to DAP, family ties continue to shape political succession and internal influence from federal to divisional and grassroots levels.

"PKR is not exempt from this and perhaps it is time we stop pretending that political legacy is a liability that must always be denied," he said.

Anis said what mattered more was how a figure like Nurul Izzah was positioned within the party's trajectory and how her rise can be interpreted not as a case of nepotism but one of legitimacy and continuity.

"If done right, Nurul Izzah could be the bridge that pulls PKR back to its reformist roots while preparing it for generational leadership. If done poorly, it risks reinforcing everything the party once stood against," he said.

As party elections loom, PKR faced a crucial test, not just of leadership, but of its commitment to reform, renewal and the principles it has long championed.

Nurul Izzah previously announced her intention to defend her vice-president position in the upcoming PKR elections on May 24.