KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Nurul Izzah Anwar fondly recalls a speech she made just before GE14, at an event in Lembah Pantai, her former constituency.

“I remember giving a speech, where I described how Lembah Pantai is like my first love, and how Permatang Pauh became my true love,” she told Malay Mail.

Nurul Izzah believes that being an Opposition MP in Lembah Pantai for two terms was her “political awakening”, and helped prepare her for Permatang Pauh.

Calling it a steep learning curve, she said she learned the true meaning of political survival in Lembah Pantai, amid a hostile political environment with zero assistance from Putrajaya or the Federal Territories’ Ministry.

“Back then, there was minimum help from the local council, federal government or ministry.

“Another fellow MP, former Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, jokingly said, ‘If you can survive as an Opposition MP in a federal territory seat, you can last anywhere’,” she said.

But that has some truth to it. Despite the many challenges between 2008 and 2018, she believes she has managed to introduce some key programmes in Lembah Pantai: From food stamps to small-scale education empowerment programmes.

Armed with that experience, she says her work in Permatang Pauh immediately after GE14 has gone smoothly.

“These small things give you a sense of what would be an efficient way moving forward. Going into Permatang Pauh, immediately I have a sense of what works, and what doesn’t,” she said.

But winning Permatang Pauh was a bittersweet victory for Nurul Izzah, as it meant saying goodbye to her constituents, and to the seat she won twice against two Umno goliaths — Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in 2008 and Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin in 2013.

“It was my first foray into active politics. It was my political awakening, the sheer happiness, excitement and nervousness in 2008… you can’t replicate that feeling.

“To win that seat with (daughter) Safiyah in my arms, the feeling was otherworldly,” Nurul Izzah said, recalling the night she won the seat in GE12.

She is confident her successor Fahmi Fadzil will do a good job in Lembah Pantai as the latter is well-versed with the issues affecting constituents there and was working on the ground for more than a year before GE14.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the person I chose to replace me in Lembah Pantai. Fahmi has more than earned his stripes,” Nurul Izzah said.