Nurul Izzah: Sangeet has right to voice fears

(FMT) – ‘Her concern is valid and Mahathir needs to hear it.’

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has defended the right of DAP member Sangeet Kaur Deo to express disapproval of Pakatan Harapan’s choice of Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its prime-minister-designate.

Speaking to FMT, she said Pakatan needed to “start appreciating every voice”.

Sangeet, who is late DAP leader Karpal Singh’s daughter, said recently that Pakatan’s choice betrayed the opposition alliance’s lack of a long-term strategy. She voiced fear of a return of the autocracy associated with Mahathir’s 22 years in power.

Nurul said Sangeet’s concern was valid and Mahathir needed to hear it.

“We have lived under a dictatorship by virtue of the system for so long that it’s important to appreciate concerns and fears,” she said.

She said it was because of such concerns that PKR took its time to reach a consensus on whether to back Pakatan’s choice of Mahathir.

She referred to pledges made at Pakatan’s annual convention last weekend and said the political reforms proposed should allay fears of a return to iron-fisted rule.

The proposals included a reform of Parliament to ensure its independence, a limit on the term of the prime minister and measures to ensure that persons appointed to top public positions are answerable to Parliament.