Nurul Izzah: Leader, puppet or shadow walker?
Let’s not make a wrong choice simply because we think we owe Anwar our loyalty.
Fa Abdul, Free Malaysia Today
“Izzah best candidate for opposition leader” said one of the top stories I read recently.
Really? The “best” candidate?
First of all, let me make clear that I have nothing against Nurul Izzah Anwar. I am not a PR supporter, and neither am I a tukangkipas for BN.
I am simply an ordinary Malaysian who is quite frustrated with the way our country has been managed. On top of that, with all the hanky-panky mentioned in every year’s Auditor-General’s report being swept under the rug, I have lost my trust in the current government.
Since I have no other choice but to place my hopes on the opposition, I make it my concern to take note of who becomes the future leader of the party which I have voted for and will continue to vote for until I decide otherwise.
So is Nurul Izzah as great as portrayed in the article? A quick random check on the comment sections of a few articles I gathered on Nurul Izzah proves her to be the darling of most ordinary Malaysians.
I asked a few of my friends living around Lembah Pantai what they thought of Anwar’s princess and, like the online commentators, they too gave a positive impression of the Lembah Pantai MP.
Honest and intelligent. In one of the comments I read, someone mentioned that it is better to have an honest woman as a leader than a flip-flop who allows radicals and extremists to take root. Wow, is that all we seek in a leader – honest and not stupid?
Well, as challenging as it would be to find a leader who is not stupid, I believe it is equally challenging to find an honest leader.
Everyone seems to have a personal agenda. Everyone.
Kind and humble. I agree Nurul Izzah has successfully created good personal ties with the people, especially in her constituency. Yes, she is in sync with people’s needs. Unlike the bozos in BN, she doesn’t drag camera crews for cheap publicity. But is a kind leader all we seek?
If we want a kind and humble leader, can someone remind me why Pak Lah was not loved during his premiership. For all I know, he was a good, kind and humble man.
Photogenic. I must say I found it funny that some of her fans would even list “photogenic” as a characteristic of a good leader. Perhaps staring at a leader with a pretty face could make all our troubles fly away. Such a pity Najib ain’t pretty. Or Muhyiddin (just saying).
Loyal and tender hearted. Yes, I am sure Nurrul Izzah is loyal and has a tender heart as claimed by her supporters. I saw her shedding pails of tears when Anwar was sent away. Heart wrenching, truly. And up till now she is loyally fighting for the release of her beloved father.
Bold and vocal. Definitely Nurul Izzah is bold and vocal. Have you seen her giving speeches in ceramahs? Brilliant. She is definitely a fantastic speaker. Like father like daughter. People would attend those ceramahs just to listen to her. But are we looking for a credible speaker or a credible leader?
Woman power. So Nurul Izzah is a woman. Duh! Should she be given the chance to lead just because she is a woman? I find this kind of rationalising a bit too silly. What have capabilities got to do with gender? Our priority should be her ability to fulfil her responsibilities and carry out her tasks with flying colours, not to celebrate her womanhood.
Young, charismatic and inspiring. Yes, she is definitely all that. We have seen how her life was turned upside down when Anwar was imprisoned back in 1998. Nurul Izzah, who was just 17, had to wake up one day and become an adult. At such a tender age she joined her mother in the fight for Reformasi. She is indeed charismatic and inspiring.
