Watching this video clip, one cannot but feel Nurul has all it takes to lead our country: popular among all races and creeds of Malaysia; proven as MP for all in her constituency; has the intellectual capacity and coolness to deal with problems as they arise; and much more which cannot be described, and best put simply as having the 'X' factor.
People say politics has a lot to do with perception, and Nurul is perceived to have the looks of someone pure and simple, yet tough when put to the test. Her enforced political 'internship' started at the tender age of 17, when her father, Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as DPM, detained and nearly killed by then IGP. Just imagine the trauma she experienced from the drastic change: privileged and very comfortable lifestyle as daughter of DPM turned into ordinary eldest daughter having to help mother to look after several younger siblings. Suddenly, not only all the privileges were gone, some friends were reluctant to be associated with them for fear of being implicated. This was the time when she knew who her real friends were, those who stood by her through thick and thin.
As the saying goes, 'When the going gets tough, the tough gets going'. She was put to test when she was a PKR candidate in 2008, contesting against an incumbent minister, Shahrizat. I can still remember, some corporate leaders were seen, notably Tony Fernandez of Air Asia, in Shahrizat's campaign, but Nurul defeated her.
Five years later, in GE13, she had to face a 'stronger' opponent in Raja Nong Chik, who made full use of his position as Federal Territories Minister to provide all kinds of public development projects in his intended constituency, Lembah Pantai, to win himself popularity at public expense. I was glad to be correct in predicting her victory over RNC despite all his unfair advantages.
Over the years as an MP, and in her campaigning for her mother, then for her father, then for herself, she has matured and gained much popularity for herself, as 'Puteri Reformasi'. I find in politics, some people have it while others don't. It is not like some professions where you study for a relevant degree and gain some experience and you become a politician. You need to be genuinely service-oriented and have the natural charm to gain popularity. The real test would be the election to test whether the voters accept you as their representative. Then it is acceptance among party members to climb higher and entrusted with more responsibilities.
Within a political party, there are rules and regulations to follow and hierarchy to respect. Yet, based on popularity, some will shine brighter than others for one reason or other. To say that Nurul Izzah depends on her father's name would be overstating the connection and understating her own ability and popularity.
At the rate Nurul's popularity soars, soon she will be asked to take on higher position within the party. Some people have even suggested that she stand for President's post, against Deputy President, Azmin Ali. With due respect to the latter, I am afraid when put to the test, she might triumph, against all rules or party traditions on taking one step at a time
The way I look at it, if Anwar is unsuccessful in reversing the overall GE13 result via legal means, the next GE might see Nurul succeed where Anwar failed, just like what happened in Penang, where Lim Guan Eng was victorious, instead of his father's earlier unsuccessful attempts.
While some people claimed Anwar has too many baggages, Nurul has none but only bouquets instead.
Nak jadi Bangla, Pakistan, India? Dah tak de lelaki ke? Dayus betul ke lelaki Msia ni?
ReplyDeleteFirst comment happened to be sexist! There must be a combination of reasons why some countries ended up having a woman PM. The most illustrious one who came to my mind was the late Margaret Thatcher of Britain, who was admired not only by her Conservative colleagues, but also those in Labour Party.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, women account for half the population of any country, so they are a force to be reckoned with.
Sometimes, the jealousies among men could cause the emergence of a woman leader more acceptable by more people.
As I was writing on this post, I was affected by the likely insult to Anwar Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, and other senior leaders of PKR. But then again, not being a member of the party as well as being a relatively unknown blogger, made it easier for me to come out with my personal opinions which did not conform to the usual thinking.
As I have mentioned from the beginning, I was watching the video clip and I could sense the electrifying atmosphere of the large crowd of people. Though she was not the only speaker, I am sure a majority attended because she was one of them. Most of the attendees were young executives and professionals too, who could identify with someone of their age group. I am sure Najib could not pull such a large crowd without his usual cajoling and bribing to ensure a decent attendance.
I am also sure that Nurul is now an icon of change which many people could relate to.
Of course there are capable men too, but when it comes to popularity, no one seems to come close to her stature at the moment.