JOHOR BAHRU – PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied allegations of nepotism related to the involvement of his family members in the party, stressing that their participation occurred during a critical time when PKR was under great pressure.
He recalled that during his imprisonment, his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had to shoulder a heavy responsibility by temporarily leading the party.
“People can say wife, children… but when we were fighting before, there was no congress. When I went to prison, Azizah took over.
“At that time, the issue of nepotism never arose,” he said during his closing speech at the PKR National Congress here today.
Further explaining, Anwar said the decision to hand over leadership to Wan Azizah was made out of necessity, without funds or a strong party machinery.
“I handed it over just like that, no funds, no machinery. At that time no one talked about family or nepotism. I only thought about who could hold the torch while I was in prison,” he said.
He added that the decision was made quickly, and he never expected the “temporary” period to stretch over several years.
Anwar also shared how their daughter, Nurul Izzah, had to leave university at a young age to join the party’s struggle.
“Izzah in that situation had to leave university and was mobilised as an adult. But back then, I never heard anyone mention nepotism,” he said.
He emphasised that Nurul Izzah’s appointment as a party leader was decided by party members, not by himself.
“Azizah, yes, I chose her at that time. But Izzah, the brothers and sisters chose. So carry on the work,” he said.
The issue of nepotism has recently been raised by some, including within PKR, amid concerns about criticism following Nurul Izzah’s decision to contest the deputy president post.
Wan Azizah had previously served as PKR president before Anwar was elected unopposed in 2018. – May 24, 2025