Malaysia’s Anwar fires back against ‘nepotism’ claims after giving daughter job
- PM Anwar Ibrahim says the appointment doesn’t go against his government’s stance against corruption, because it is an unpaid position
- The scandal adds to the struggle of his two-month-old administration, with an analyst describing it as ‘self-inflicted potholes’ in Anwar’s mission to take the country on the road to reform
Acknowledging that “some are unhappy” with her role, Anwar said the appointment does not go against his administration’s stance against corruption, abuse of power and accumulation of wealth in the hands of any political figure because she is unpaid.
“Nepotism is where [a family member] is given a position to abuse power, enrich themselves, obtain contracts and get paid a huge sum,” the prime minister told reporters on Tuesday. “This is not the case.”
The outcry began after Nurul Izzah had a Sunday interview with a local newspaper in which she discussed her new appointment allowing her to “[serve] the government in shaping public policy and putting policy into practice”.
She was a three-term lawmaker before losing her seat of Permatang Pauh – which had remained in the family through Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail since 1982 – in what was the biggest upset in November’s election.