'Can't please everyone,' says Nurul Izzah on resignation criticism

Nurul Izzah Anwar, commenting on her decision to step down from PKR’s number two post, referred to herself as the outgoing deputy president and said she could not “please everyone”.

She noted that some viewed her defeat in Permatang Pauh - long regarded as her family’s stronghold - in the 15th general election as unacceptable, while others were unhappy with her victory over incumbent Rafizi Ramli in last year’s PKR polls.

“And for others, it was just unacceptable that I am leaving (the deputy presidency) in 2026.

“You cannot please everyone, but you can only remain true to yourself,” she said in her speech officiating the PKR annual congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre this morning.

After her speech, members of the press attempted to hold a doorstop interview with Izzah, but she declined to answer questions, including those on her decision to step down.

In a Facebook post on Aug 6, Izzah confirmed her intention to relinquish the party’s number two post.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said the party’s central leadership had received her resignation request earlier that day, but instead granted her temporary leave beginning after the annual congress concludes this weekend.

Later, PKR lawmaker Hassan Abdul Karim told Mingguan Malaysia that Izzah’s decision to step down was allegedly linked to her dissatisfaction with the government’s approach to combating corruption.

Critics had viewed Izzah’s contest for the deputy presidency as a catalyst for internal friction within PKR, as it preceded Rafizi’s resignation as economy minister.

He later left the party to lead Bersama along with another former PKR leader, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Tensions within the ranks

The internal disputes have continued, with Wong Chen, who served PKR for 17 years, leaving the party and vacating the Subang parliamentary seat to join Bersama.

He reportedly discovered on May 20 that his parliamentary office had been blocked from the MyKhas portal, which is used, among other things, to manage constituency development allocations.

He publicly protested the move on May 22, and three days later the Finance Ministry issued a letter terminating his chairpersonship of government-owned financing institution Malaysia Debt Ventures, effective May 31.

A week later, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung claimed he had also lost access to the MyKhas portal, followed by Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail on Aug 6.

Both Lee and Wong previously claimed that the move could be linked to their political alignment with Rafizi, while Rodziah is also seen as an ally of the former Pandan MP.

Amirudin shoots down PKR MP's 'theory' behind Nurul Izzah's resignation

Nurul Izzah quit amid concerns over govt’s handling of graft, PKR MP claims

COMMENT | Should Nurul Izzah have entered politics in the first place?

Rodziah disappointed by Nurul Izzah's decision to quit PKR No 2 post