Nurul Izzah Anwar

She has in the past advocated on behalf of Malaysian political prisoners and Malaysian human rights movements at the international level, most noted being an intervention in the main session at the 55th Commission on Human Rights, Geneva.

Nurul Izzah also actively contributes to the Malay publication Sinar – continuously educating the electorate with positive thoughts on reform.

Her paternal grandfather Ibrahim Abdul Rahman was Seberang Prai Central MP from 1959 to 1969.

Nurul Izzah binti Anwar (Jawi: ; born 19 November 1980) is a Malaysian public servant with an extensive history of dedicated service as a legislator, activist, advocate and champion of social change.

She also served as Co-chairperson of the Secretariat of the Special Advisory Body to the Minister of Finance (ACFIN) serving Tan Sri Hassan Marican since February 2023.

She served as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister on Economics and Finance briefly before Encik Nurhisham bin Hussein, former EPF Chief Economist, assumed the position in the PMO.

Nurul Izzah's political career began with the creation of the People's Justice Party (KEADILAN or PKR) in 1999 where she played a vital role in its establishment and, up until December 2018, was on her second term as highest ranking Vice President Elect, as well as the party's Election Director – a post she holds jointly with Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (former Party Secretary-General).

Prior to entering politics, Nurul Izzah did her bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Universiti Tenaga Nasional where she graduated from in 2003.

She then furthered her studies in the U.S. and earned her master's degree from the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University studying International Relations specializing in Southeast Asia Studies.

Prior to becoming an MP, Nurul Izzah was (and still is) a strong proponent of human and civil rights with a special interest in prisoners of religious prejudice.

Initial reports suggested that Shahrizat would retain the seat, as she had been a popular minister, and in the 2004 election retained her seat with a majority of 15,288.

However, on polling day, Nurul Izzah won 21,728 votes to Shahrizat's 18,833, and was elected as the new MP for Lembah Pantai.

In the 2008 general election, Nurul Izzah contested the seat of Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur.

There was speculation that she ran for the seat with the intention of handing it over to her father, who was disqualified from running for office until April 2008, though she quickly rejected such claims.

The seat was defended by three-term incumbent Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who was Minister for Women, Family and Community Development in the Barisan Nasional government.

The defeat of the powerful three-term incumbent by a new face was one of the many surprises in the 2008 election, which saw significant losses of parliamentary seats by the ruling party.

When her father returned to electoral politics he did so by replacing his wife and Nurul Izzah's mother, Wan Azizah, in a by-election for the Penang-based seat of Permatang Pauh.

She has also served as the Vice President of PKR from November 2010 to her resignation in December 2018 and again since July 2022.

She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Permatang Pauh from May 2018 to November 2022 and for Lembah Pantai from March 2008 to May 2018.

She is a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and formerly Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition coalitions.

She served on the Public Accounts Committee from 2018 to 2022 and was the KEADILAN Spokesperson for the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development.

She was also an active member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for the Reform of All Places of Detention (APPGM).

She also served as Chairperson of the Consideration of Bills Select Committee from December 2018 to July 2019.

In July 2021, Nurul Izzah, in a collaboration with Prof. Fatimah Kari, published a new report on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

This study calculated the varying dimensions of poverty experienced by 332 B40 households in Permatang Pauh.

This index would go beyond economic factors and consider social, political, and environmental aspects to provide a comprehensive assessment.

By including dimensions like women's empowerment and environmental sustainability, the index aims to promote a well-rounded approach to rebuilding after conflict, prioritizing the well-being of all individuals, especially women.

Six months later, Mustapa Mohamed, former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Economic Affairs, revealed the government’s plan to revamp the national MPI methodology in response to the study.

Mustapha Mohamed officially launched the report on October 2021.

Nurul Izzah is the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, current President of PKR and current Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Her mother, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was the outgoing President of the party and former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and also former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.

On 17 December 2018, Nurul Izzah announced her resignation as the party's vice president as well as chair of its Penang chapter, but retains her post as MP of Permatang Pauh.

Nurul Izzah is the founding member for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Caucus; and Women's Caucus respectively.

She also holds the position of Honorary Treasurer on behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Malaysia.

She has also moved the Parliamentary Bill in Malaysia's Parliament to Revoke Emergency Declarations in the country, including the eventual abolishment of the Internal Security Act – all of which were adopted by the Prime Minister six months later.

Granted, other laws were then re-introduced, in line with Malaysia's semi-autocratic regime.

Nurul Izzah is also a Board of Director for the Centre of Reform, Democracy and Social Initiatives and has founded Akademi Manusiawi, a training centre for future activists and politicians.

Nurul Izzah has worked with a number of agencies and institutes on advocacy work, among them are the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Women Leaders International Forum (WLIF) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).

She was replaced as chairperson by Bukit Gelugor MP, Ramkarpal Singh, in July 2019.

On 20 July 2022, 3 days after the PKR party elections officially ended, she returned to the PKR vice presidency after being appointed along with two new officeholders Putatan MP Awang Husaini Sahari and Saraswathy Kandasami after resigning from it nearly 4 years prior on 17 December 2018.