KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) said today it is concerned by the appointment of Nurul Izzah Anwar as the senior economic adviser to her father, prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The watchdog’s chairman Muhammad Mohan however said Nurul Izzah’s talent and credentials can however still be utilised if she does not report directly to Anwar, but rather placed in a different ministry.
“Why did he appoint her when he already talks about nepotism and cronyism? The perception today is nepotism has come back.
“Our view is that it gave the wrong signal and if not rectified it will factor in the index here,” he said after presenting the 2022 TI-M Corruption Perception Index here.
In 2022, Malaysia recorded its worst performance in a decade, managing only 47 out of 100 possible points.
Defending Nurul Izzah, Muhammad said he believes the former Permatang Pauh MP has the integrity to handle the situation.
He added that he understood that Anwar may have wanted someone he could trust and rely on as his representative to gauge public sentiment.
“Our PM is not someone who doesn’t know things. My personal opinion, my feeling is he need help to work for the people.
“I hope PM can intervene so that we don’t lose her talent,” he said.
Nurul Izzah, the eldest daughter of Anwar, was appointed as senior economic and financial adviser on a pro bono basis at the Prime Minister’s Department and the Ministry of Finance, early this month.
The 42-year-old former lawmaker confirmed her appointment in a media interview on Sunday, prompting backlash as the public and opposition parties decried the assumed preferential treatment.
