In a statement, Hamzah said Nurul Izzah’s appointment was a betrayal to Malaysians and tarnished the government’s reputation as it went against good governance, a principle often talked about by the prime minister.

The Perikatan Nasional secretary-general maintained that not giving Nurul Izzah a salary was no excuse to legitimise nepotism.

“Anwar’s move to defend his daughter’s appointment is really embarrassing, all the more since Hassan Marican is already acting as an adviser to the prime minister.

“It is apparent that the ‘Malaysia Madani’ slogan is merely rhetoric as the prime minister’s priorities seem to be his own family members rather than tackling the high cost of living, handling economic challenges and exploring new markets for Malaysia.

“The prime minister needs to rescind the appointment immediately. The nepotism practised in PKR cannot be brought to the administration of the government. Walk the talk, please,” he said.

Yesterday, Anwar defended Nurul Izzah’s appointment as his senior economics and finance adviser, saying it was made based on her qualifications.

Anwar also said Nurul Izzah has a degree in engineering and another degree in public and social policy from Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Nurul Izzah, a PKR vice-president, said she would not be paid in her role as senior economics and finance adviser to the prime minister.

Analysts condemned the move, saying the former Permatang Pauh MP’s appointment reeked of nepotism and would bring unwarranted attention to the unity government when it was still trying to find its footing.

Meanwhile, the Center for Market Education (CME) said Nurul Izzah did not possess any specific background in economics or finance, which should be mandatory for advisers in these fields.