No 'all in the family' - Anwar says Nurul won't join cabinet

Despite holding a senior position within PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar will not be assuming any cabinet posts, her father Anwar Ibrahim said.

This was to eliminate any accusation the family was trying to turn the new Malaysian government into a "family business".

Anwar said this during an interview on the 101 East programme which aired on Aljazeera today after he was asked on the fact he was slated to be the next prime minister.

Nurul is a current member of Parliament and his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the current deputy prime minister-designate.

The PKR de facto leader said the decision on no cabinet post was made by Nurul herself and she had already informed the party of this.

"Azizah is president of the party and my daughter has informed the party that she does not intend to join the cabinet although she's the most senior, other than the deputy president who is the chief minister (Selangor menteri besar Azmin Ali) of a state.

"She’s (holds) the most senior position in the party but she has declined (a cabinet position), which I think speaks well of the (family) relationship in the government," Anwar said.

Besides being Permatang Pauh MP, Nurul is currently vice-president of PKR, the party founded by Anwar and led by her mother.

Anwar was speaking to Aljazeera following his release from prison after obtaining a pardon for his 2014 conviction over sodomising his former aide. It was a charge which he has long-maintained was politically motivated.

On the matter of Wan Azizah (above), he said that it was also made clear to the party and ruling Pakatan Harapan government that she would step down as deputy prime minister upon him assuming the premiership from seventh Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad when the time comes.

"Naturally, once I assume the premiership, Azizah will resign. That is also the understanding known (to all) although they (political opponents) continued to use this (during) campaigning.

“Can you imagine the prime minister, deputy prime minister being a husband-and-wife team? Which is, of course, is a blatant lie," he said.

He further dismissed the suggestion that Wan Azizah was merely a proxy "keeping the seat warm" for him.

Pointing out that his wife became the president of PKR "in her own right", having taken over the reigns when he was first imprisoned in 1999 and successfully leading the party since Anwar said the issue of proxy boiled down to the "sharing of ideals".

He said: "I don't see that as a problem at all. Our ideals are to show, to make sure that you work to ensure the focus is (on) the welfare of the masses, not the cronies, not the colleagues, (not the) elite around the leadership, (and) to make sure that we end corruption.

"In fact, anyone can be a proxy to protect and implement these ideals."

He said in that sense if Wan Azizah was still be considered a proxy, then it was fine with him. -Mkini