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August 7, 2026

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Nurul Izzah takes leave from PKR deputy president post – why and what next for Anwar’s daughter?

A source close to Nurul Izzah tells CNA that she had disagreed with the party’s direction and faced pressure from within Parti Keadilan Rakyat to step down.

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JOHOR BAHRU: Nurul Izzah Anwar, the eldest daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, will take leave from her role as Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) deputy president to pursue further studies.

She had offered to step down from the party’s Number 2 role but its central leadership council granted her a leave of absence. PKR vice-president Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is Malaysia’s home affairs minister, will serve as acting deputy president.

“This decision was made after careful consideration, as (I) embark on a new chapter by pursuing further studies grounded in service and contribution, without necessarily being tied to the world of politics,” said Nurul Izzah, 45, in a statement on Thursday (Aug 6) night.

She was elected around 14 months ago in PKR’s internal election, beating incumbent Rafizi Ramli after an intense campaign.

But her deputy presidency bid and win were dogged by claims of nepotism, given Anwar is PKR’s president. Rafizi, Malaysia’s former economy minister, later left PKR and took over leadership of Bersama party in May.

A source close to Nurul Izzah told CNA she had disagreed with certain directions the party was taking and had faced “pressure from the party internally” to step aside.

“She is principled on some issues, and was not willing to shift on them,” the source said, without elaborating on what the issues or disagreements were.

In her statement, Nurul Izzah expressed confidence that Saifuddin and PKR vice-president Amirudin Shari would discharge their responsibilities with “intelligence, wisdom and perseverance”.

“I will continue as a member of (PKR), and lend support for the struggle towards a better Malaysia,” she said, adding that she hoped to meet party members at PKR’s national congress on Aug 15 and 16.

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Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to his daughter Nurul Izzah at the 18th PKR National Congress at Persada International Congress in Johor Bahru, Johor, on May 24, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

Analysts noted that Nurul Izzah, a former three-term Member of Parliament, has kept a relatively low profile during the party’s campaigns for the Sabah, Negeri Sembilan and Johor state elections held in the last eight months.

Political analyst Syaza Shukri told CNA that party sources have said Nurul Izzah has some differences in opinion from her father on the party’s direction, and that she is unlikely to return to the role as deputy president in the short term.

“I’ve been told (she wanted to resign) because of tension with the president. So my point is, if it’s a different president and leadership, maybe she might return,” said Syaza.

“(For now), she may have lost interest (in the role),” she added.

Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at the Malaysia-based think tank Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, agreed.

“Even though PKR has indicated that this is a temporary leave, and not permanent, the way things have unfolded is indication that she is unlikely to return to the role anytime soon,” he said.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Malaysia’s Sunway University told CNA that Nurul Izzah’s short and unsuccessful stint as PKR deputy president would have permanently hurt her standing among party supporters.

“Even if she plans to return permanently, this episode of contesting then resigning would have damaged her reputation. (Her legacy) as the Reformasi Princess is over,” he added, in reference to her prominent role as part of the Reformasi movement following the arrest and imprisonment of Anwar in 1998.

Senior PKR member and MP for Pasir Gudang Hassan Karim believes Nurul Izzah has grappled with the weight of nepotism accusations, even though he believes she has the ability to lead the party.

“In my opinion, she has the merit and the ability to lead as deputy president … However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the public, or even people within the party, can easily accept what could be seen as having “two Anwars” in the leadership — Anwar Ibrahim and Nurul Izzah Anwar,” said Hassan, 75, who is a lawyer.

“So I think it also made sense for her to step aside for now,” he told CNA.

Hassan and analysts also said Nurul Izzah’s criticism of Malaysia’s former anti-corruption chief Azam Baki likely added to the pressure for her to step aside.

Azam stepped down from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in May.

File photo of former chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Azam Baki. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak)

Months before the end of his tenure, he was dogged by reports of personal shareholdings that were above the RM100,000 limit allowed for public servants, as well as allegations that he helped a group of businessmen seize control of companies and worked with a “corporate mafia” to pressure businesses to cut deals to avoid corruption investigations.

Both Azam and MACC have denied the assertions, with Azam filing a lawsuit against news outlet Bloomberg, which first published the allegations.

Anwar, who extended Azam’s one-year contract thrice, has repeatedly defended the former anti-graft chief, saying he has shown “extraordinary courage” in going after powerful figures allegedly involved in corruption.

The government has formed a special committee to probe the allegations against Azam but has not made its findings public.

In multiple commentaries published in Malaysian media in May, Nurul Izzah had called for the government to expand the scope of investigation on Azam and stressed the need for independent oversight of the anti-graft agency.

“She wasn’t comfortable with it … I think she saw that the actions of the government and the party’s top leadership on these matters were inconsistent with the principles she and the party had long championed,” said PKR’s Hassan.

Azmi said Nurul Izzah’s public comments ultimately hurt Anwar and the party.

“She was vocal on the issue, but this did not help her father and made it harder for the prime minister in handling the situation,” he said.

Nurul Izzah has also not played a prominent role in PKR’s campaigns for the Sabah, Negeri Sembilan and Johor state elections held between November 2025 and Aug 1 this year, analysts said.

Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition, which mainly comprises PKR, Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), performed poorly in all three polls, particularly in Negeri Sembilan.

PH lost control of the state government to a coalition led by rivals Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.

The PKR deputy president typically serves as the party’s election director, but after the Sabah polls last November, the role was handed to Amirudin, who is also Selangor’s chief minister.

While Nurul Izzah did campaign on the ground, analysts said her presence was relatively muted.

“She has been quiet and inactive on the campaign front. Perhaps it’s a good thing for PKR that she is stepping aside after the party’s losses in Johor and Negeri Sembilan,” said Azmi.

Wong said Nurul Izzah’s presence as PKR’s number two was “simply not felt”.

“She has not offered the strategy or charisma that Rafizi did. It raises a simple question: why did Anwar need to force Rafizi out by pushing his daughter up?” he said.

Wong added the resignation further outlines the lack of leadership in PKR’s lineup, compared to Parti Islami Se-Malaysia’s vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Hamzah Zainudin of Parti Wawasan Negara and Khairy Jamaluddin of the United Malays National Organisation.

Syaza said some members may have partly laid the dismal results on her.

“There was the expectation that the deputy president should lead the party to better results in the polls but that didn’t happen. Of course, it’s not all her fault but she has to take some of the brunt,” Syaza said.

PKR’s Hassan said it is possible Nurul Izzah, who remains a PKR member, may return to a party post after Malaysia’s next general election due by February 2028.

“I believe that after the next General Election, we don’t know if the party will be able to remain in government or not. She may feel it is better for her longer term to step away for now,” said Hassan.

“The next GE could alter the political scenario for PH and PKR … I believe she will make a comeback then,” he said.