HARUN TAIB: "LITTLE KID" WITH BIG AMBITION?

PKR Vice-President Nurul Izzah, MP for Lembah Pantai.

Analysis by Joceline Tan, ‘Little kid’ with big ambitions, the star 15 Nov 2012

joceline@thestar.com.my

THE firestorm around Nurul Izzah Anwar is still raging. The PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP has been hit left, right and centre over her controversial comments about the freedom of choice in religion during a forum on the Islamic State. Nurul Izzah has had a pretty charmed life since her debut into politics and this is possibly her political baptism of fire. The irony is that it is happening after remarks made in a church.

 Utusan Malaysia is still running pages of news on the issue and most of it has been critical of her. Some of the reaction has been rather over the top but the concern is quite real. Many Muslims feel that such a fundamental matter should not be used to play to the gallery. The edict on apostasy or murtad is crystal clear and it is something that Muslims and non-Muslims have to live with. There is no reverse gear to being a Muslim and, as in many other aspects of the faith, it is a non-negotiable matter. But the most apt reaction came from none other than Datuk Harun Taib, the Dewan Ulama head of PAS.

 Rather than joining in the condemnation, Harun merely dismissed her as someone who is still young and not highly educated in religious matters. Actually, the phrase he used was “Nurul masih budak-budak lagi” (Nurul is still a kid). Harun, who is known to be critical of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR, said that people who were not learned in religious subjects should leave such discussions to those who are more learned. It was as good as him saying that PKR’s rising star is still immature and cannot be taken seriously. He basically put the whole episode in perspective and he put the young lady in her place. Harun also told a Malay daily that he sees no reason why the Dewan Ulama which will hold its muktamar today would want to discuss the issue.

  
Those who have been watching Nurul Izzah’s fast-track career have often wondered whether she was going too fast, too soon. She was only 28 when she catapulted into national politics as a giant killer by defeating Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil in Lembah Pantai. She captured public imagination - she was young, very pretty with chiselled features and porcelain skin, and there was the famous family name. It was an exhilarating launch to her career but also a huge load on her shoulder because this type of victory comes with big expectations. The pressure to live up to those expectations was immense.

She allowed herself to be swept along rather than proceed at a more realistic pace. In the 2010 party election, she had wanted to go for the deputy president’s post but her father blew his top and she had to settle for the vice-president’s post which she won with the most number of votes. It was mind-boggling that she had seriously contemplated going from zero to being the No 2 in the party and particularly given that her father is the powerful de facto leader and her mother is already the president.

 It showed a lack of judgement on her part and also great contradiction on the part of her party. PKR members have accused their opponents of nepotism, yet they are willing to accept three family members holding top posts in the party. But more mind-boggling ambitions lay ahead. She was soon touted as a future prime minister and the next menteri besar of Selangor. Anyone who dared question whether she was being over-rated would be shot down by the Internet bullies and cybertroopers. She was riding on her family name because up till then, there was quite little that she could show in terms of accomplishments, whether in her party or as an MP.

 To be fair, these political designs did not come from her but from ambitious people around her. They wanted to ride on her new-found fame and they were pushing her beyond the limits of her ability and experience. They were the ones who would rush to stand near her at press conferences and events so that they could share her spotlight. The spotlight in the party has, however, swung to her colleague and PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli. Even people in Umno have a grudging admiration for how Rafizi does his homework on issues, his ability to juggle facts and statistics and the way he argues out these issues. Like Rafizi, Nurul Izzah goes for sensational issues but she is unable to hold a candle to Rafizi in terms of intellect and depth. She is certainly street-smart and from the way she talks, one can tell she is clever but not in an intellectual way. She jumps on issues without thorough research and when proven wrong, she would just “act don’t know” and look for a new issue.

  
At one stage, there was talk that Batu MP Tian Chua was mentoring her. It made some people in her party quite worried because they did not want her to go the way of Chua who has become more famous for his eccentric behaviour than for what he has done for his constituents. The PKR leadership has issued a clampdown on party people speaking on the controversy. The party stand seems to be the less said the better and they hope it will fade away before the general election. Nurul Izzah has been burnt by this controversy. But it might be a blessing in disguise because she has been speeding on the fast lane and it is time for her to take stock of her strengths and weaknesses, to match her ambitions to her abilities and not to let people push her into things she is not ready for.