The Other Boss' Daughter: A Reminder

The other day, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described how he was "Papa Negara" and that he acted like a leader when he welcomed the convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak's mock apology. He was very angry with the rakyat for criticizing him, and so he proceeded to scold the rakyat, the same people who had elected him to power. Maybe Anwar can sense, and his cabinet can also sense, that the ground is already beginning to shift away from the initial enthusiasm people had for him. In this video, let us be reminded about Anwar's leadership style. The event I am about to describe happened about a month or so after he became Prime Minister, which would be around January last year, 2023.

Anwar Ibrahim waited two decades before becoming Prime Minister, but in the end, he proved to be no different from his predecessors. He promised change and to lead with principles of accountability and transparency. He vowed to eliminate corruption, cronyism, and nepotism. But all that ended when he appointed his daughter, Nurul Izzah, to become his Senior Economics and Financial Advisor.

The criticisms about this appointment have nothing to do with Nuruul. They have nothing to do with her degree, her lack of experience in economics, her competency, or her honesty. The criticisms focus on the lack of integrity and loss of principles. If Nuru had not spoken to The Star during her interview in February 2023, Malaysians would not have found out about her special position in the government; she was appointed on the 3rd of January, I think. It was foolish to hide this appointment from the rakyat because they will then start to think that Anwar's administration is both deceitful and hypocritical.

Anwar will also have earned the rocky yards, contempt, and derision. Things would be different if we were talking about a family-run business because in a family firm, the person Anwar chooses to hold key posts is entirely up to him. But Malaysia, the nation, is not a family business. And disappointingly, Anwar has shown that he is like all the other prime ministers. Their sense of entitlement is so strong that for them, Malaysia should be run like a family business.

Theirs is their own family business. Anwar's folly and error of judgment have jeopardized his fragile unity government. However, Nurul is not without blame; she was ill-advised to accept his offer. She should have declined it because it would have harmed her father more than it would have harmed her, as her father lost all credibility.

And the opposition will redouble their efforts to bring him down, and the prospects of Perikatan Nasional and PAS taking over may be sooner rather than later. So, if she had turned down the post, Nurul would have emerged stronger, and people would have had more respect for her. Anwar often criticized former prime ministers for being hypocrites. But now, the hypocrisy label will stick to him. What will Anwar have gained from Nurul's appointment?

For some people, it might appear that a father is rescuing his daughter from political obscurity, especially after her own constituency had kicked her out at GE15. Others will claim that by providing her with valuable exposure and work experience in high office, Anwar hopes to prepare his daughter for her next role as the first female Prime Minister of Malaysia. Perhaps the unpaid role is a red herring because the true goal is to train her for the highest position in the land, the prime ministership. But why? Why should Nurul be given this advantage?

Her supporters can spare us the diatribe that she deserves to be Prime Minister because she sacrificed years of her life to free her father from jail. What happened to meritocracy? If meritocracy was one of Anwar's promises to the rakyat, then this senior adviser's post could have been offered to someone who was more capable. In the end, Anwar is no different from Amnu Baru politicians who award multi-million contracts to their close friends and reward their loyal buddies with senior positions in a GLC. Anwar can call nepotism by any other name, but the stench of nepotism is too overpowering. After all, his genetic makeup consists of the unbiased.

And Umno Baru DNA. Anwar's daft acceptance of the convicted felon Najib's apology was a serious misjudgment. He should appreciate that leadership without ego and arrogance is very rare. Now, when a leader is out of touch with his people, the power given to him by the people will soon erode. Thank you.

Thank you for listening. Speak to you soon.