Selangor, Kedah divisions rally behind Nurul Izzah for PKR No.2

New Straits Times

06-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor PKR has proposed Nurul Izzah Anwar as a candidate for party deputy president, saying her leadership is vital for the party's future.
In a statement today, Kuala Selangor division chief M. Sivabalan said the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was a suitable candidate to assume the post to safeguard the party's future.
He added that grassroots leaders wanted the central leadership to make a firm political decision to further strengthen and empower the party.
"Nurul is not a leader who only appears during election season. She has always been part of the party's struggle, even when we were on the streets, until we finally reached Putrajaya," he said in a statement.
Hulu Langat division chief Rajen Munasamy said the party needed a "reform-minded" leader like Nurul Izzah, who had demonstrated consistent principles from the beginning.
He added that the vice-president could also play an important role alongside the rest of the leadership to ensure the party's future remained on the right track.
"It is time for the party's top leadership, especially the president and others, to make a clear and decisive political move for the common good.
"We no longer have time for rhetorical political manoeuvring. We need a strong presidential team," he said.
Nurul Izzah previously announced that she would contest the vice-president position in the upcoming PKR elections, scheduled for May 24. (https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2025/03/1188841/updated-nurul-izzah...)
Meanwhile, support continued to grow for Nurul Izzah, with three divisions from Kedah firmly backing her candidacy. The divisions were from Pokok Sena, Jerai and Jerlun.
Pokok Sena division chief Mohd Altab P.A. Ibrahim declared his full support for Nurul Izzah, describing her as a driving force of the reformation movement and a committed figure throughout the party's struggle.
"She is not only a respected political figure but also a people's icon who has long stood as a frontrunner of the reform agenda. She symbolises the people's hope for justice and systemic change," it said.
Echoing this sentiment, Jerai division chief S. Poobalan expressed confidence in her leadership, citing her past commitment and performance as the Kedah PKR Leadership Council chairman.
Jerlun chief Mohamad Rudzi Samsudin also pledged his division's full support, stating that Nurul Izzah's long-standing involvement in the Reformasi movement and unwavering commitment to the party made her a fitting choice for the position.
"She has faced numerous challenges in the party's struggle and has never wavered in her dedication. Her leadership represents a continuity of reformist ideals within PKR," the statement read.
The race for the deputy president post had now become the centre of attention, especially after several prominent figures aligned with incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli were defeated in the recent division-level elections.
Titiwangsa PKR chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman urged Rafizi to make way for former party secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to take over the position.
Saifuddin, however, had remained tight-lipped and said he would make an announcement on the matter soon.
In the 2022 party polls, Rafizi defeated Saifuddin for the deputy president's post with a landslide majority of 16,668 votes.