KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Pakatan Harapan vice-president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub has today backed Nurul Izzah Anwar’s latest appointment as prime minister’s senior adviser on economy and finance.
The Parti Amanah Negara deputy president said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim needs all the help he can get, and he was confident Anwar will curb any abuse of power in his office.
“If there’s any interference or abuse of power, I think he will put his foot down, knowing Anwar.
“I think it is normal, and maybe Anwar needs our advice and everyone can contribute,” said Salahuddin when asked by reporters.
Salahuddin added the prime minister had also drawn a clear line that Nurul Izzah’s role is for practical purposes because her services were pro bono.
“I think he made it very clear that Izzah didn’t get any payment from the government,” said the domestic trade minister.
Yesterday, Nurul Izzah confirmed that she had been appointed the role of special adviser to her father’s Prime Minister Department and Ministry of Finance on January 3.
The decision was criticised by both Opposition politicians and the anti-corruption watch group, Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M), as preferential treatment and called for Anwar to rescind the appointment immediately.
Anwar, however, dismissed the nepotism claim and said the former Permatang Pauh MP was chosen based on her qualifications.
