In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Anwar is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Nurul Izzah. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Nurul Izzah binti Anwar[a] (born 19 November 1980) is a Malaysian politician and public servant who has served as the deputy president of the People's Justice Party (PKR) since 2025. She previously held the position of PKR vice president from 2010 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2025. In Dewan Rakyat, she represented the Lembah Pantai constituency from 2008 to 2018 and the Permatang Pauh constituency from 2018 to 2022.
Nurul Izzah was made a public figure in 1998 by the dismissal and incarceration of her father. She acted as a mediator between him and the people during the Reformasi movement.[4]
Nurul Izzah questioned by reporters during the 2008 general election
She contested for Lembah Pantai seat in 2008 general election against women's ministerShahrizat Abdul Jalil.[4][5] Though inexperienced, there were some citizens who perceived her as qualified, well-educated, and religious. She and her party, PKR, opposed race-based politics andadvocated for a multiracial, one Malaysia.[6] She received 21,728 votes to claim the seat, defeating Shahrizat by 18,833 votes.[7] The result made her the winner MP of Lembah Pantai and it was an enormous early victory in her political life.[5] Her popularity among male voters as well as single mums won her over despite the thin margin.[7]She was the youngest person to become the party vice-president (VP) at the age of 30, two years after she joined Dewan Rakyat, in 2010 when she was made a VP of PKR.[8][4] Her appointment was officially announced on 28 November 2010 during PKR's 7th National Congress, including other VPs Tian Chua, Fuziah Salleh, and Mansor Othman. The same congress also ratified Azmin Ali as deputy president.[9] By 2012, she was recognised for her independent credibility, holding multiple degrees, two parliamentary terms, and rising influence among youth and reform-minded voters.[4]
In the 2013 general election, Nurul Izzah defended her Lembah Pantai seat against Raja Nong Chik from Barisan Nasional (BN).[10] She won with a majority of 1,848 votes, receiving 31,008 votes compared to Raja Nong Chik's 29,161.[11] She was supported largely by middle- and upper-class voters and raised concerns about electoral fraud, calling the contest one of Malaysia's "dirtiest elections." Although she unsuccessfully challenged the inclusion of over 5,000 untraceable voters, she reaffirmed her commitment to clean and fair politics.[7] In August 2013, she urged Malaysia to pursue self-liberalisation rather than accept the terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement without scrutiny. She called for stronger parliamentary oversight, political reforms, economic restructuring, and the protection of natural resources to safeguard national interests and global competitiveness.[12]
On 16 March 2015, Nurul Izzah was detained under the Sedition Act 1948 for participating in the #KitaLawan rally and for comments made in Dewan Rakyat, in which she criticised the judiciary over her father's conviction. Lim Kit Siang argued the arrest violated the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, which protects MPs' statements in Parliament except on matters involving the monarchy, national language, Malay privileges, or citizenship. He called the arrest illegal and urged the Attorney General to act.[13] The International Commission of Jurists condemned the arrest, demanded her immediate release, and called for the Sedition Act to be repealed, stating it was used to suppress free expression.[14]Amnesty International also denounced her arrest and overnight detention.[15] She was released the following day after spending a night in custody during the investigation.[16]
In November 2015, Deputy Prime MinisterAhmad Zahid Hamidi commented on Nurul Izzah's meeting with Jacel Kiram, daughter of the self-proclaimed SultanJamalul Kiram III linked to the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff. He said the meeting was not a crime but raised concerns over Malaysia's sovereignty and dignity. He added that while differing views were acceptable, matters affecting national sovereignty required caution. Zahid alleged that Chua Tian Chang had arranged the meeting to reconnect with the defunct Sulu sultanate and urged him to be more responsible when coordinating such visits.[17] Although Nurul Izzah stated that the meeting was part of a delegation visit to the Philippines arranged by local hosts, and reaffirmed PKR's support for peace efforts and Sabah's sovereignty, many Sabah politicians expressed distrust. Leaders from Sabah Progressive Party and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation demanded an apology or even a ban on her entry into Sabah, accusing her of showing tacit support for the Kiram family's claim over the state. Some opposition figures advised restraint, arguing the issue was being politicised by rivals, but the incident nonetheless sparked concerns about her judgment and awareness of Sabah's security sensitivities.[18][19][20]
In May 2018, Nurul Izzah reiterated her commitment to press freedom by pledging to re-table a motion to abolish the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and to establish a media council for self-regulation. She emphasised the need for reform to support truth and fair criticism in Malaysia's media landscape, noting that her advocacy for media freedom dated back to 2010.[25][26] In December 2018, she was appointed to the Public Accounts Committee, joining William Leong and Noraini Ahmad in replacing outgoing members such as Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.[27] She was also named to one of six new bipartisan parliamentary select committees, serving on the Consideration of Bills Select Committee.[28] On 17 December 2018, she announced her resignation as party vice president and chair of PKR's Penang chapter, though she retained her role as MP for Permatang Pauh.[29] In July 2019, she was replaced by Ramkarpal Singh as the head of the parliamentary Consideration of Bills Select Committee.[30]
Nurul Izzah in 2021
In 2021, Nurul Izzah launched the Permatang Pauh Multidimensional Poverty Study, delivered a keynote address at the UNFPA Malaysia Forum on Intimate Partner Violence, and co-authored an article in the Journal of the Malaysian Parliament on the state of parliamentary democracy.[3] She was re-appointed as one of PKR's vice-presidents for the 2022–2025 term during the party's central leadership council meeting on 20 July 2022.[31] In August 2022, she expressed frustration over the government’s delay in establishing a central authority for TVET, noting that she had proposed a bill for a central commission in 2018, but successive governments had not acted on it.[32]
In January 2023, Nurul Izzah confirmed her appointment as senior economics and finance adviser to the prime minister, starting on 3 January without any allowance.[33] From 2023 to February 2024, she co-chaired the Secretariat of the Finance Advisory Panel at the Ministry of Finance, and between March and December 2024, she chaired the Social and Economic Research Initiative. Since April 2024, she has advised the Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief, and from January 2025, she has served as executive chairperson at POLITY.[3] On 23 May 2025, Nurul Izzah won the PKR deputy presidency, defeating incumbent Rafizi Ramli by 9,803 votes to 3,866. Her first-time victory has positioned her as her father’s political heir, sparking debate about nepotism and dynastic politics in Malaysia.[34][35]
Activism and advocacy
Nurul Izzah advocated increased political and policymaking involvement by women as the key to enhancing legal protection for women and families in Malaysia.[36] She became active in political and civil rights campaigning, including calls for national reform of prisons as a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for the Reform of All Places of Detention.[37] She promoted parliament reform and introduced seven private member's bills, from racial and religious hate crimes to repealing the Sedition Act, amending the Petroleum Development Act, and media regulation. As Permatang Pauh MP, she participated in public health, women's vocational development, and poverty studies projects. Nurul Izzah also ventured into the TVET sector, aiming to increase the recognition of TVET skills and qualification.[36]
Nurul Izzah is known for her support of the Palestinian cause.[38] She has consistently expressed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and called for an end to the Israeli occupation.[39] On 20 October, Nurul Izzah and the Malaysian Women's Coalition for Al-Quds and Palestine issued a protest note to the United States embassy in the capital, expressing full support for resolving the ongoing conflict in Palestine.[40] On 8 December, Nurul Izzah, together with the Malaysian Parliament Caucus for Palestine, submitted protest notes about the conflict in Gaza to the embassies of the United States, the European Union, and the British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur. The notes were signed by 38 MPs, 30 NGOs, and political activists.[41]
Personal life
On 9 May 2003, 23-year-old Nurul Izzah married Raja Ahmad Shahrir Iskandar, a 26-year-old chemical engineer and distant relative of the Johor royal family. The couple met in 1999 when Nurul Izzah travelled to London to rally Malaysian students in support of her father; Raja Ahmad was then a student at Cambridge.[42] Following their divorce in January 2015,[43] they were granted joint custody of their two children, Raja Safiyah and Raja Harith.[44]
On 5 August 2022, Nurul Izzah Anwar married Yin Shao Loong in an intimate ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, attended by close friends and family. The couple had kept their relationship largely out of the public eye, with only close relatives and trusted circles aware prior to the wedding.[45][46] In June 2025, Nurul Izzah and Yin performed the hajj pilgrimage together.[47]
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