AYER KEROH: The PKR national congress in Melaka on Sunday (Aug 16) ended with a birthday celebration for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and honours for “Puteri Reformasi”, Nurul Izzah Anwar, who will soon go on leave.
Anwar turned 79 on Aug 10.
The party’s leadership brought a cake to the stage after the PKR president concluded his speech.
Nurul Izzah, who will soon go on study leave, was given a bouquet of flowers to honour her contributions to the party since the Reformasi movement and the party's founding.
Earlier, during her winding up speech, Nurul Izzah expressed her gratitude to all the “uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters who had been my friends and stood by me since I was young".
"I was forced to be apart from you during every ceramah where we emphasised the struggle, even though, at the time, I felt an immense sense of loneliness. The most important thing I learnt was this: Family are those who support you and love you unconditionally,” she said.
“Brothers and sisters, you have been there throughout the years as I have grown alongside you. Even though my tudung was always slightly askew, at that time, I was not even 19 years old when Keadilan was established.
"Because of my age, I could not even become a member. So, thank you very much! Please, when I contact you later about programmes, don't pretend you don't know me!
"I am Nurul Izzah Anwar, the same Nurul Izzah Anwar of 1998. Thank you very much for everything,” she added.
PKR advisory council chairman Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of Anwar and mother of Nurul Izzah, was also honoured with a bouquet.
Nurul Izzah had initially expressed her desire to resign from her position as deputy president, however, the party leadership rejected her resignation.
Instead, she was given a leave of absence, and vice-president Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will assume the duties of deputy president in the interim.
