YOURSAY | Something is holding Nurul back from joining PKR fray

YOURSAY | ‘I respect her choice but I can't stop feeling disappointed.’

Nurul Izzah sits out PKR polls to focus on wooing fence-sitters for GE15

Battle of stars shaping up in Ampang PKR polls

Nurul Izzah: Harapan should prepare to lose two more GEs

YellowCat1156: Permatang Puah MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, as much as I respect your decision to not contest in the upcoming PKR party election, and as much as I admire your desire to help convince GE15 fence-sitters, I think you know that changes can only be made if you are one of the leaders.

Only as a leader can you effectively fight for what you believe in, argue for the cause, and make your voice be heard.

Something is holding you back. Personal sacrifices have to be made if we believe in what we stand for.

Lim: Look at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden - she's a young woman and merely 36 years old when elected.

Nurul, an educated and well-spoken Malay leader, can do so much more. She can generate an awakening among Muslims, women, and the younger generation.

I respect her choice but I can't stop feeling disappointed.

Guglu: If you want to be a leader you must be at the forefront, not on the fringes. You must be able to take all the shots and the arrows and be prepared to be wounded and scarred.

How are you going to woo fence-sitters when you have no power? Nurul Izzah and former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli are two of a kind, hiding when the sea is rough and only emerging when the others are already too tired or dead.

PKR cannot fight an enemy led by bold and thick-skinned people like former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

I remember a sentence in one of Najib’s speeches, “Even there are hundreds of arrows pierced on my body, I would stand here and fight for you, Malays.” There you are, a leader for you.

ProMalaysia: Hats off to Nurul Izzah for being the "big picture” person.

She is looking at the bigger picture of winning voters' trust and confidence instead of contesting for internal party posts.

What is the point of winning the party election but losing the upcoming 15th general election?

I Am A Malaysian: Nurul Izzah's forecast of Harapan's chances (that it could lose two more GEs) is clearly not optimistic, but neither do they need to be taken as altogether pessimistic.

In the aftermath of Harapan's short-lived governance where some election promises were audaciously broken, not by Harapan's collective leadership per se but almost single-handedly by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to whom too much undeserved yet somewhat unavoidable deference (due to strong pro-Malay agitations still persisting at that time) and freehand decision-making was accorded.

Disenfranchised Harapan supporters and fence-sitting voters will need a lot more convincing that the coalition can be a winner with power and resolve to materialise their social-economical-political ideals before coming out in hordes to back it again in GE15.

In the present circumstances, entering GE15 as an underdog might be a blessing in disguise for Harapan to give an overconfident BN and disarrayed PN a good fight.

Even if Harapan cannot regain the federal government, barring a momentous turn of events in its favour, snatching a strong number of opposition seats against BN/PN will at least ensure a critical check and balance against misgovernance.

This might be the healthy two (major) party political system that's good for our country.

Justmyview: Good luck to Rafizi, Nurul Izzah and their team. They are doing something concrete and refreshing to strengthen PKR unlike some other leaders in the party who just want to fight for positions in the party by making empty noises.

Beware of those leaders who ‘passionately’ support party leader Anwar Ibrahim to gain votes but may later undermine him like what the ex-PKR Sheraton Move gang did.

Scarecrow: Good decision. Nurul Izzah has the necessary charm, charisma, and youthfulness to compete with Muda in wooing the fence-sitters.

If Rafizi loses the election in the deputy president race then Nurul is the only one left to count on for PKR’s 15th general election campaign.

Thesaint: Fence-sitters are not going to listen to those who work from the background. Voters are looking for leaders, their vision, and how they plan to achieve desired outcomes.

GreenLeopard4021: Nurul Izzah, you cannot be a leader by hiding in the background. A leader must be seen in the forefront and lead. You are now playing the role of a follower.

How can your members look up to you when you opted to take the back seat? There is little hope for success with ‘leaders’ like you.

Brownie: Indeed, in politics, it's either you are in or out. There is no such thing as a fence-sitter and work from the background.

Jww Birch: Yes, Nurul Izzah, good strategy. Not even in my wildest dream would I think Pakatan Harapan will win the 15th general election.

Focus on being the formidable opposition after the 15th general election and not third-place winners like what happened in the Malacca and Johor state elections.

I am confident Rafizi will be the next PKR deputy president and many members of your team will be inclusive.

Harapan will definitely get back the fence-sitters, especially the majority of the younger generation of Malays. With good and younger leadership in PKR and Harapan, you can focus on winning the 16th general elections.

EatCake: We don't need to be emotional with what Nurul Izzah said about Harapan's anticipated loss for the next election.

She didn't say it because of sentiments but because she and PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli did their study and came out with this realistic projected outcome.

The reason is people are traumatised by the Sheraton Move, and the bulk of them are fence-sitters. Now that they have found the cause, Nurul Izzah will not stand in PKR's party election but instead will lead the Ayuh Malaysia initiative to woo these fence-sitters.

Instead of blaming Nurul Izzah and Rafizi for not doing more, this should be applauded.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.