Mr Anwar said that Ms Nurul Izzah did not take over the role to take projects but to help him.
My daughter was eager to help me in any way she could. If she came to help me without being given an official position, people will question her intentions even more severely than they do now, he said.
Mr Anwar denied claims of nepotism in his daughter's appointment, saying that some of his critics were not in a position to criticise him as they themselves had given millions of ringgits worth of contracts to their children.
He was quoted as saying that Nepotism is a situation where a family member can abuse power, enrich themselves, get a huge amount of money. He did not elaborate on the allegations, but he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
He was quoted by The Star as saying that I will be sure that there will be no acts of corruption, bribery or misuse of power during my term as prime minister.
I pledge my administration s willingness to cooperate fully with any investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Opposition politicians, including Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and its secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, have been calling for Ms Nurul Izzah to step down from the role.
Kedah's chief minister, Muhammad Sanusi Md NorSanusi Md Nor, has also questioned the arrangement of Ms Nurul Izzah as a senior adviser without pay.
I don't think there is such a position. This is not an NGO non-governmental organisation, this is the government, he was quoted by New Straits Times as telling reporters after attending the state-level Chinese New Year dinner on Tuesday.
Sanusi is a member of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia.