By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Jan 30: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Larry Sng Wei Shien opines that former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar is better off appointed as the advisor to the Ministry of Education (MOE), instead of handling economic and financial matters.
Sng said since the economy isn’t expected to perform well this year, the risk of the country underperforming is high.
“To mẹ, (being an) advisor to the Education Ministry would probably be a ‘safer’ ministry to be linked to.
“On the plus side, now that she is no longer an MP, she has more time to focus on her new role. This will keep her relevant until the 16th General Election (GE16) when she gets re-elected in a safe seat,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He was referring to Nurul Izzah’s appointment as senior advisor on economic and financial matters to Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who had received criticism since she is Anwar’s daughter.
Nevertheless, Sng implied that Nurul Izzah has her own credentials and should not be written off because of her family ties with Anwar.
“Had Nurul Izzah won her seat, she would probably have been made a Minister, given her seniority in the party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat).
“Just because she lost, people question her eligibility to be an adviser to the government. To me, the critics are missing the point; it’s really not a big deal.
“However, does she really need a position, especially when she is the daughter of the 10th prime minister of Malaysia?” he added.
Nurul Izzah’s appointment was made public after she told The Star in an interview published on Saturday (Jan 28) that she has been assuming the role effective Jan 3, 2023.
On Jan 29, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu on Twitter left a sarcastic comment congratulating Nurul Izzah on her new position.
Faizal tweeted: “PM’s eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah was appointed Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister on economics and finance. Apparently, according to her, Papa who is also finance minister appointed her effective Jan 3, 2023. Congratulations!” (sic)
The same day, Anwar, after attending a function in Tambun, Perak, defended Nurul Izzah’s appointment by telling reporters that she is working pro bono (professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment) for the government.
Nurul Izzah has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional and a master’s degree in international relations (with a specialisation in Southeast Asia Studies) from the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. — DayakDaily
