KUALA LUMPUR: A leader of Nurul Izzah Anwar’s stature should not be making statements that could be detrimental to the country.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the Permatang Pauh member of parliament (MP) should have been more careful when she was interviewed by Singapore’s Straits Times.
While admitting that he was in awe of her aggressive approach in championing reforms on the local front, Faizal said she should realise that her views could be misinterpreted.
“In my opinion, whenever we give statements, especially if it is overseas, we need to be careful as we need to think of the reactions it will create.
“When she describes our current prime minister as a former dictator, then there will be other people who will mention leaders of other parties,” said the Perak Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman.
“This will make things worse, and it will not bring any benefit to the country.
“Such a statement should not have come from a ‘Puteri Reformasi’, who has been working with me and other PH leaders to bring about reforms.”
The interview in Straits Times’ Sunday edition quoted Nurul Izzah as saying that she was “heart broken” at having to once again work with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom she described as a dictator.
Among other things, she confirmed that this would be her last term as an MP because she had lost faith in the PH government led by Dr Mahathir.
She said it was difficult working with him because of strained personal ties that stemmed from the time when he sacked her father, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as deputy prime minister and his subsequent imprisonment in 1998.
The article was published a day after news got out that she had resigned as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
She had resigned because of Dr Mahathir’s decision to allow PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee to remain in his post even though he was no longer an opposition lawmaker.
Faizal said, despite Nurul Izzah’s view on the matter, PH had fulfilled its general election manifesto pledge to appoint an opposition lawmaker to the post of PAC chairman.
“It is not as if we did not do it. The only difference is that the PAC chairman switched sides as he applied to became a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
“When he was appointed to PAC, he was an opposition MP and this was done based on PH’s manifesto.
“I don’t see how not changing (the PAC chairman) now could make things worse. I think we need to calm down and toe the line.”
Faizal said Dr Mahathir had his reasons for retaining Kiandee, and urged PH leaders to support the decision made by the ruling coalition’s leadership.