 Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, peace be upon all of you. My name is Nurul Izah Anwar. I am a reform democrat. And of course I'm also a member of parliament from Malaysia from the People's Justice Party. And I wanted to start here at this serious conference with the story about two years back when the opposition leader of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was convicted on tram-tab and politically motivated charges. I actually spoke out in parliament in this conviction was also condemned by the United Nations. And as I spoke against the corrupt judges who convicted the opposition leader, I found myself investigated and arrested under Malaysia's archaic sedition laws. Now I wanted to tell you the time I spent in the lock up because it was such an important moment for me. I was separated from my two kids. It was extremely difficult. But surprisingly I met with another fellow inmate, a Vietnamese mother with her two children. Two young children who were also locked up and that's when I understood the plight of undocumented migrant workers. I was also brought to meet a 14-year-old terrorist sympathiser. This 14-year-old girl Malaysian was brought to me by the police who did not know what to do with her after one month. She was about to fly to Syria or Iraq to marry, to be married off as an ISIS bride. So the police asked me, YB, can you please advise her to de-radicalise her? I did what I could but it's like a fellow prisoner trying to help a terrorist sympathiser. But this experience really gave me a sense of what are the key issues I'm fighting for. The first of course democratisation in my country, the second empowering women, and the third for education, especially for Muslims to ensure they are prevented from being radicalised. Now my history traces the year to the year of 1998. In that particular year, my father was a deputy prime minister then. He was sacked, eventually jailed by the then prime minister Mahadeh Muhammad. And of course, I had to thank the government then. I could have been an engineer but I joined politics instead. Now it's very crucial because the moments at the time help formulate this whole demand momentum for reforms to ensure that we had a systemic political reform that eventually culminated in the multi-racial and multi-religious People's Justice Party, the party of which I'm vice-president of. Now for me, it is very crucial to understand that in Malaysia, I am a committed Malaysian, I love my country, there's many things going for us but I feel of course you need to sustain the commitment for change. Now eventually, after years in activism, I basically joined politics as an active politician in the year 2008 and was very lucky to win in elections. I think some of the Malaysians here know I was against an incumbent minister, very popular minister for women, family and community development. So from there, nine years, I had the opportunity to be in politics and eventually for me, the ability to not only be first and foremost an activist but also to enter the foreign politics helped me understand that change requires you to always sort of have a more symbiotic relationship between activism, human rights, rule of law and of course the field of political process. I wanted to put this picture because it was the time that my two children and my nephew visited me when I was at the police station. Why is it important? Because when you strive for change, you also want to make sure the next generation understand the importance of doing your bit, the dangers of an undemocratic government. I mean, these are very impactful and I believe the more you engage, the more you give some impetus and inspiration to the younger generation, the more effective it is for you to change the world. Now, for me right now, our efforts in the political sphere together with the non-governmental organisations is to ensure this inclusive politics. You have to fight for multi-racialism, you have to fight for multi-religiosity and the big problem is in Malaysia of course there are pressure points. You're talking about politics being discussed along racial-religious lines. You're talking about legitimate political descent trying to be clamped down by the power ZB. And what happens when you try to silence legitimate political descent? You actually encourage forces of extremism. I showcased this number from the Sufran National Report in 2015 to show you Malaysia has six times per capita more foreign fighters versus Indonesia, a much poorer country. I'm not saying that we have a huge problem. My point is there's nothing wrong about being more inclusive and supporting you increase the democratic space. And because of that, I believe at the end of the day, fast forward in the year 2017 I find myself face to face with the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. I used to call him my most least liked dictator, Mahadeh Muhammad. And you know, I feel the Islamic principles of Ausa to her, moderateness, pragmatism, you need to be able to include all forces in demanding for reforms. This is not an issue about personal suffering, about personalities, about your personal feelings. The issue is to prioritize the nation and the future. And that's why I basically chose this picture to showcase the importance of inclusion to come together to demand meaningful reforms. I would like to push for inclusivity, I would like to push racialism, I would like to push for diversity and I stand before you as a Muslim woman democrat and I thank you for according me the time to speak to you today. Thank you for hearing my story. Can you just tell me whether you were well treated when you were in prison and can you share a little bit more about your first meeting with Mahadeh Muhammad after everything? I think it's very important to understand policemen, the grassroots policemen they were very, very kind very civil and I think they understood the importance of looking up making sure real criminals are arrested instead of members of parliament for speaking in the August House so I have no complaints but my issue is regards the system that allows for example refugees, allows for undocumented workers and their children to be detained and also how much help they need. You're talking about a 14-year-old juvenile, if she's arrested for one month there must be support system collaboration across the agencies to ascertain as to how a 14-year-old could be a terrorist sympathiser so I think intelligence gathering these things are some things that we can even from the opposition work together with the government all stakeholders must be welcome in this exercise to fight against this couch of terrorism. Number two, back to Mahathir I must say the first time our eyes met it was a very difficult moment of course we're talking about close to 20 years that has passed by years of going through and through to the prison cell to visit my father but I think we must understand that while you might hit a man for his actions you must not personalise his being so for me I welcome everybody to be part of the reform agenda for as long as they are clear there is no justification for any sort of dictatorship or autocracy when we demand for reforms it means we have to demand for system act reforms to ensure Malaysia becomes a more successful vibrant economy and country as it should be so it was after a couple of times of meeting I think I was always taught to be civil and eventually believe it or not we spent Valentine's Day when I not just with him, relax I had a fundraising dinner 14th February of this year and I invited him and he came with his wife together with other politicians so remember if you continue in the pursuit of justice with objectivity, with compassion and if the most autocrats of autocrats can be changed Insya Allah It's inspire many, I mean not only female here but maybe I hope the male partner here too, yes I just hope but you know like I want to learn more from you as well you know like being a female parliamentarians or politicians how do you first the barrier perhaps you know change the barrier within the political system within your own party but also in the parliamentary or the country as a whole Thank you, it's a very important question of gender equality in politics I'm lucky because my father was a politician and of course then my mother was also the active opposition leader at the beginning of our year so I felt that I was lucky the most but I think every woman who has had the opportunity must then provide the conducive environment so when the party was formed one of the first things we did was ensure there's 30% representation for candidacies female candidacies including training in the party so it has to be institutionalised you can't expect one two personalities to change the environment so it has been difficult sometimes you know misogynist are everywhere sexism you know sometimes exist but we must remain vigilant we have to support not just other women but I think men who have clear vision of empowering women and there's many so I think with that when you focus on the agenda you provide a conducive environment I think many things can happen but training training training I wish I had many mentors and more mentors would have helped but clearly it's about the environment and the word that there will be a general election in Malaysia this year or soon how ready is your coalition to face the federal machinery because there are reports of problems that you're having and some disagreements so when the federal government is very much in line they move in one step so how ready are you guys? Thanks so much for that question from our Exeata friend I think it's very important to understand election in Malaysia is a great mystery and there's a lot of rumours but the person who really knows is either the Prime Minister or his wife so it's a very well kept secret but pandits are saying it may be September this year and I think our biggest challenge is really the unconstitutional gerrymandering of electoral boundaries so I know gerrymandering happens everywhere people mention the Trump vs Hillary numbers but really Malaysia the champion of gerrymandering so I think we're also racing against time we have a coalition now consisting of four parties Maya Party, the DAP Amana as well as surprise Mahades Party so I think our position is strengthen policy offerings and we are doing our bit to work with non-governmental organisations because voters, the voter list these issues will determine the outcome we won 52% last elections but we only received 40% parliamentary seats so the huge disparity doesn't help matters but I feel kin commitment and we are also going to generate enough awareness from the electorate in this regard so it's going to be an uphill battle I do not deny that but I am an incorrigible optimist how would your new government run the country different from the incumbent government today Thank you for the question Mr Poon I think we have highlighted a few things that we would do differently reform has formed our main agenda the prime minister shouldn't hold the position of the portfolio of the finance minister there has to be clear cut separation of powers you have to empower the attorney general's chambers for one thing to be brave enough to take action against any corrupt doers regardless of their position but on the media on the other civil society side I think you have to ensure you have free and fair media there has to be removal of the strangleholds to the existing printing presses and publications act because a vibrant media will act as the fourth estate monitoring all the different levels of governance and politicians so for me the reform agenda is very crucial we are formulating it in the Pakatan Harapan level that is the name of our coalition to those of you who are not Malaysian I am sorry, I always assume everyone is Malaysian but I think these are the key reform agenda and reform pledges that we hope will push Malaysia to be a country which is already successful but far better able to be salvaged from the hands of corrupt wrongdoers you have come here for this forum and what I like to know is moving forward what are your things that you need coming out from this forum 3 things I was very happy to be part of the world economy forum ASEAN level because as I was growing up there is so much linkages between us as a region you know all the main poets and main leaders from Philippines to Indonesia the sense of convivencia that gave us a lot of pride in being in ASEAN and I think the 3 things that I have learnt is first the issue of how vibrant we are as a region there was so much talk about a TPP but really who are the main partners in terms of our trading in the region so I thought that our SEP should have formed much more discussion engagement between us the second of course the disparity in terms of the economies in ASEAN I feel that this forum has helped me learn from so many talents because yes it might be disparity but there is no blockage from ensuring intellectual achievements can be achieved by anybody regardless of race, regardless of greed and the third bit is also learning from the investors on their impression of Malaysia's Silver Service you see they have a lot of great things to say about our Silver Service maybe less on the politicians but Silver Service receive the great mark so these 3 things helped me get a sense on how beneficial it is for Malaysia to be part of this grouping and I hope that from this story again Malaysia has a lot to offer Malaysia and Malaysians can definitely do more and I hope as a region we can really galvanise our strengths to focus and propel I was forced also to answer a question, is Malaysia ready for a female Prime Minister and I think it's not for me to answer it is for the electorates in Malaysia but first and foremost let's get a good Prime Minister so on that note ladies and gentlemen thank you very much