In support of a victim of circumstances...

From a posting in Malaysia Today:

'RELUCTANT POLITICIAN' SHOWS SHE IS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT
Posted by Raja Petra
Thursday, 06 March 2008
By Jeremy Au Yong, THE STRAITS TIMES

The soft-spoken 27-year-old, by virtue of being the eldest daughter of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, has had a political career thrust upon her, and the newcomer is clearly not yet comfortable with the role.

She still seems a little unsure of what to do when she makes her rounds, often turning to minders to ask about which group of people she should approach.

On the campaign trail with her husband, she spends much of the time not shaking hands with residents, but often holding his. Of late, however, she has been trying hard to shake the reluctant politician tag.

The mother of a five-month-old girl recently said in an interview: 'I had my hesitations, but once I have made up my mind, there is no turning back. I will do my best to win this battle.'

By all accounts, winning will be tough.

The constituency is a Barsian Nasional stronghold and she comes up against Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Still, Ms Nurul Izzah does hold some aces. She already has a fan base in the area, thanks to the many who support her father.

Being half the age of her 54-year-old opponent also means she appeals to younger voters. And her good looks don't hurt when it comes to winning fans.

The response she got as she took the train to campaign at four different stations clearly showed she had some fervent support here.

As she walked through a hawker centre, one Malay woman rushed excitedly from her seat to hug her and give her a kiss on each cheek.

The woman, in her 50s, was almost in tears after the chance meeting. 'I'm overwhelmed,' she said.

More fans were found on the trains, at bus stops and along the roads.

Some wanted to have their pictures taken with her while others offered words of encouragement. Some passing drivers also slowed down on seeing her at a bus stop, honked and gave her a thumbs-up.

Such responses had spurred her on and given her confidence, she said. 'This will be an intensive campaigning week. The PM is coming down and I hear the Deputy PM too, meaning I must be doing something right.'

Flashback:

Revisiting my letter in Malaysiakini, ‘Nurul Izzah should stand in polls’ dated March 11, 2004.

“Nurul Izzah should seriously consider standing for election, regardless of whether it clashes with her examinations. There are certain things in life that cannot go according to plan. Being a victim of circumstances, she should grasp the opportunity of becoming a member of parliament, which is only a few days away. After another five years, the situation will not be the same and even with proper qualifications, she will likely be just another professional or career woman.

Whatever examinations she is giving up now can always be taken later if she is genuinely keen. But the mood of the voters now which is likely to be in her favour will never be the same five years later.

If her father (ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim) can choose to face a long jail sentence instead of political deal, the choice she is facing now pales in comparison. What is more important is a chance to spite or at least prove to the persecutors her determination to fight along with him.

Her decision to stand will strike the right chord with other fair-minded persons like me, as well as make this election all the more interesting to watch!”

Well, I sincerely hope the sentiments of the voters in Lembah Pantai remain strong enough for Nurul to win in her debut four years later, while her father remains ineligible to contest as a result of the politically motivated trial.