Not all is fine in PKR dynasty

THERE was a time when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim celebrated the formation of a family dynasty in Parti Keadilan Rakyat, as his wife was made president and daughter, vice-president.

He was always smiling and proud before a battery of camera flashes during “joint family” press conferences alongside Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar. PKR had become such a personal party to one man.

In this writer’s opinion, such familial ties in the party’s top echelon have provided a shield for Anwar against any sort of impending coup by his lieutenants. Political greenhorns and relatives are not likely to cross that line.

He was quite comfortable being a ketua umum and used “merit” as the reason why his family members had made it as top leaders. For years, allegations of nepotism, which have also been hounding DAP for a similar reason, did not leave Anwar perturbed — until recently.

In trying to assuage mounting criticisms, Anwar has decided to announce Dr Wan Azizah’s non-candidacy, despite strong rumours that she would be contesting in Selangor and which some claim should contribute to an easy win for PKR.

His decision was confirmed by PKR election director and deputy president Azmin Ali during an interview with Al-Jazeera. But Nurul Izzah has since refuted her father’s statement and reduced it to mere “political talk”.

For quite sometime, observers among members of the media from print and online to pro-government and otherwise, have noted a subtle undercurrent of antagonism between Anwar and Nurul Izzah.

Many have commented that both have not been exhibiting the usual familial closeness. Some claimed that during a political dialogue, Nurul Izzah walked off the stage as soon as Anwar entered the venue to give his speech. She did not even stop for a chat.

Casual observations aside, Nurul Izzah’s comment on Anwar’s announcement which watered down his credibility as a decision-maker, may lend some weight to talk of friction between father and daughter.

If nothing else, a communication breakdown is obvious. How does a party vice-president move to assert her function when such an important announcement was not made known to her?

Her mother, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah, who vacated her parliamentary seat to make way for Anwar as opposition leader in 2008, has already been made redundant in the party. She is now a presidential puppet and, at best, PKR’s de facto women’s wing chief.

While Anwar may have removed her from candidacy due to pressure to stop the practice of nepotism, it is also known that Dr Wan Azizah had, from time to time, served only as a means to ensure his political survival. She had helmed the party when her husband was imprisoned and later became the opposition leader, only to save the post until Anwar’s return to mainstream politics.

The soft-spoken 60-year-old even held out her hands to help Anwar stand up, in a public display of affection — or perhaps sympathy — before the media during PKR’s annual convention down south two years ago.

Azizah has yet to speak on this controversy. But in the end, she is widely expected to accept the decision to prevent further strain in family ties that would ultimately affect PKR’s journey into the election.

Nurul Izzah must have been slighted on the notion that her mother was being sidelined completely this time around. It is as if Dr Wan Azizah had outlived her usefulness and her party post is just lip service to show a semblance of respect.

The 32-year-old must have also thought that her mother, befitting her stature as party president, should at least be regarded as important enough to contest in the toughest election yet. The situation now, judging from the current circumstances, can be quite telling; not all is fine and dandy within the PKR family dynasty.