Nurul Izzah, the eldest daughter of opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, has denied she pulled out from contesting the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) polls this weekend on her father's instruction.

"The perception that I made my decision based on my father's instruction is misguided. The decision is mine and is not made based on anyone's instruction," she told malaysiakini today.

Her decision to withdraw from all the posts for which she was nominated came as a surprise as she had announced barely a month ago that she was ready to enter active politics after a hiatus for postgraduate studies in the US.

The 26-year-old was nominated for various posts, including Youth's deputy chief (seven nominations), vice-chief (six), exco member (27), women's wing vice-chief (two) and supreme council member (three).

Following her decision not to contest, speculation arose that Anwar - the party adviser - had ordered her to withdraw to avoid being seen as favouring his daughter.

'Best decision'

However, Nurul Izzah - or 'Puteri reformasi' as she is fondly called - said her decision was made after consultation with her family, especially her husband Raja Ahmad Shahrir Iskandar.

Despite pulling out, Nurul Izzah said she is fully committed to the party and will continue to be actively involved in its programmes.

"I am deeply honoured and humbled by the nominations and support given by party members from across the country. However, I am already involved in politics as the political co-ordinator in Anwar's office.

"This fact, coupled with my impending motherhood, leads me to believe that the best decision is to focus on my current job. I would very much like to do my job well and remain focused."

Nurul Izzah added that she believed she can best contribute to the struggle through her present responsibilities.

The PKR triennial elections slated for the weekend have been riddled with allegations of interference from the top leadership, including Anwar, leading to the withdrawal of certain Youth leaders in protest.

Anwar has denied the claim and said he has never stopped or supported anyone - openly or in private - from contesting in the party election.

Apart from Nurul Izzah, Anwar was also said to have played a role in 'advising' those close to him, including the staff serving in his office and former tennis buddy KS Nallakaruppan to pull out the contest.