KUALA LUMPUR – Months of speculation over Nurul Izzah Anwar’s future in PKR came to an end today after the party confirmed she would take a temporary leave of absence from her role as deputy president, with Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail appointed to carry out her duties in the interim.
The decision was made during the party’s Central Leadership Council (MPP) meeting after members deliberated on Nurul Izzah’s request to step aside from the position.
PKR information chief Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the MPP agreed to grant Nurul Izzah leave effective immediately after the party’s 2026 National Congress until a date to be announced later.
During her absence, Saifuddin, who is also a PKR vice-president, will perform the responsibilities of deputy president in an acting capacity.
Despite stepping aside temporarily, Nurul Izzah will officiate the PKR Women’s Wing and Angkatan Muda Keadilan congresses on Aug 14.
“The MPP has agreed that Saifuddin, in his capacity as vice-president, will carry out the duties of the deputy president on an interim basis.
“The council also agreed that PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari will fully assume the role of the party’s election director,” Fahmi said in a statement today.
Nurul Izzah was elected PKR deputy president in May last year after defeating the incumbent, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
Rafizi subsequently left PKR together with former vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to establish a new political party, Bersama.
Speculation that Nurul Izzah — the daughter of Prime Minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim — would relinquish the deputy presidency had persisted since the beginning of the year.
However, in March, she dismissed the rumours and reaffirmed her commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to her by party members.
In recent months, the former Permatang Pauh MP has been vocal in calling for reforms to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), advocating stronger accountability, institutional reforms and greater parliamentary oversight to restore public confidence.
In May, PKR appointed Amirudin and Saifuddin as joint election directors, effectively replacing Nurul Izzah in the role.
Separately, Fahmi said the MPP approved the membership applications of 3,533 new members who registered online between July 12 and early August.
He added that the party had accepted and respected the outcome of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, while expressing appreciation to party workers and volunteers for their efforts throughout both campaigns.
The MPP also recorded its appreciation for former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun for his service over two terms in office. – August 6, 2026