In viral speech, Anwar ex-aide tells why PM untroubled by nepotism charges as daughter vies for No 2

One of Anwar Ibrahim's most trusted former aides who is credited with mobilising support for the PKR leader during the early stage of the party says the showdown for the deputy president's post has everything to do with the prime minister's need to stay in power ahead of "problems" to come in the months ahead.

Ezam Nor, who was Anwar's political secretary when he was the deputy prime minister in the late 90s, mentioned the upcoming civil suit trial by his former research officer, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther.

The candidacy of Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, who is challenging Rafizi Ramli for the second highest post in PKR, has sparked fresh allegations of nepotism in the party.

Ezam said while Anwar could easily stop his daughter from joining the contest and put to rest allegations of nepotism, there were other more important considerations for the prime minister.

He said Anwar was aware of a growing restlessness among the party grassroots over his daughter's candidacy.

"Doesn't he know that people will curse his daughter? He knows all this. But why is he doing it? Because he has no choice. Why? Because he has many problems. He has many problems. Problems that we see – the Yusoff Rawther case, who is the son of his friend, his teacher, the grandson of his teacher, SM Idris," Ezam said in a speech at a PAS event in Terengganu recently which has gone viral.

Yusoff, the grandson of the late prominent consumer advocate SM Mohamed Idris, faces charges related to firearms and drugs brought after a controversial police ambush last year, a week after he submitted a list of witnesses for his sexual assault suit against Anwar, which has been fixed for trial on June 16.

Anwar has denied the allegations.

The PKR president however has not objected to his daughter's candidacy, which has seen most party branches and top leaders toeing the line by expressing support for her, leading to speculation that Rafizi's defeat is a foregone conclusion.

The two candidates are currently on a nationwide campaign tour.

Anwar has remained largely silent amid growing criticism that Malaysian politics would be heading down a dangerous path should the ruling party morph into a family dynasty.

Ezam, the man responsible for recruiting a young Rafizi into the party fold and once regarded as part of Anwar's family, said having Nurul Izzah as the deputy president was Anwar's way of propping up his daughter to helm the party, in the same way that he propped up his wife to stand as president during his imprisonment.

But Ezam said that with PKR in federal power, the country was set on a dangerous path.

"Some say that Nurul Izzah is capable, she is competent, she can be the deputy president, so what's the problem?

"If she becomes the deputy president, the problem is, she is the president's daughter. Her father is the president. The father is president and the daughter is deputy president. This has never been seen anywhere in the world before," he said.

Acknowledging cases of political leaders who were succeeded by their children, Ezam nevertheless said that the children had never officially occupied the number two post while their fathers were still in power.

He said Lee Hsien Loong, the son of the late Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew, was never appointed to replace his father despite being seen as very capable at the time.

Instead, he had to wait until Goh Chok Tong completed his term.

Ezam also rubbished the argument by some Anwar loyalists that there was nothing wrong with Nurul Izzah occupying a position next to her father as she would have been elected.

"Some say this is not nepotism because she is elected, not appointed. All sorts of excuses. I say, yes, she is elected. Who is she elected? By which representatives? PKR. Who is the president of PKR? Her father. Who gives the watikah (credentials) to PKR members who want to contest positions? The PKR president. Who is the PKR president? Nurul Izzah's father."

'Who dares to oppose the president's daughter?'

Ezam said no PKR leader would dare to oppose Nurul Izzah if they wanted to be in the running as a candidate at the general election.

"The one who signs their watikah (credentials) is Nurul Izzah's father. That is nepotism. Although she is elected, she is elected by those who are bound by the interests of a president.

"So this is not right. It cannot be. No matter how she wins the deputy presidency, Anwar is the president. If she is the deputy, just imagine. If Anwar has problems and Nurul Izzah defends him, will she be defending him as his deputy or the daughter of the president? Where is the line?"

A senior PKR leader aligned with Rafizi meanwhile said the party's election was no longer an internal affair as PKR was the lynchpin of the coalition government where its leaders occupy key positions.

The individual, who is also part of the government and an MP in the Klang Valley, condemned what he called the "blatant nepotism" taking hold in the party.

"It is ridiculous to have the daughter of the president running for deputy president, and to pretend that it's a fair process," the PKR leader told MalaysiaNow on condition of strict anonymity.

"Everyone knows that in this party, the person who decides on MP and state assembly candidates is the president, and it's the president alone who signs the 'watikah' (credentials).

"Who would dare to vote against the daughter of the president? This is blatant nepotism, and completely undermines the fundamentals of a democracy."

Another key player in Rafizi's camp warned that Nurul Izzah as the deputy president would mark "a slippery slope to creating corrupt and despotic family dynasties".

"Despotic family dynasties are a key feature in South Asian countries, something Malaysia neither needs nor should strive for," he added.