PKR Wanita wing: Where have all the women gone?

Despite the anticipation of snap polls since last year, Pakatan Rakyat’s youngest partner PKR continues to struggle to fulfil the party's 30 percent quota for women candidates.

“We have managed to fill only 50 percent (or 15 seats) of the quota. Although support for the wing has improved since 2008, it still lacks qualified women candidates,” lamented PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin (left) when met in Bertam.

"The women we approached declined to be candidates. I admit, we are finding it a challenge to find professional women to join us," added Zuraida when met at the wing's state-level fundraising dinner attended by about 500 last night.

"We have good grassroots support, it’s true, but we also need professionals to strike a balance in the wing," stressed the Ampang MP.

Zuraida is hopeful, though, when she sees the wing picking up momentum in Penang this year, as the dinner event is one of the largest ever organised by the women at state level since 2008.

Penang PKR chief and Deputy Chief Minister I (DCM I) Mansor Othman, state veep and assembly house speaker Abdul Halim Hussein, Bukit Tengah assemblyperson Ong Chin Wen and state information chief Johari Kassim were present at the function.

However, the absence of other prominent state PKR leaders and assemblypersons at the event, which saw Mansor launch the wing’sAgenda Wanita Malaysia (Malaysian Women’s Agenda), Pakatan’s promises for women if it gains federal power, is an indication of the level of support they have for their female counterparts in Penang.

Wan Azizah's candidacy: 'Central committee should decide '
In Penang, the wing took a beating when its state women chief Aminah Abdullah (right) left the party in 2007, contesting against the party’s state chief Mansor Othman for the Penanti by-election in 2009.

The seat was left vacant when its assemblypersom - then DCM I Fairus Khairuddin quit the party, saying he planned to further his studies and focus on his family.

Aminah, who became involved in NGO activities since she quit PKR, applied to join Umno last Saturday, submitting her application form to Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Abdul Razak, who was in Penang for a working trip.

Despite the daunting task ahead to attract more women to join its ranks, Zuraida is pleased that the wing managed to find two professional women who would most likely contest in Perak and Johor.

“Such places, unlike Penang and Selangor, are yet to be seized by Pakatan, so there are more spaces for our women to be fielded there,” said Zuraida.

When asked about the candidacy of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and whether she would contest in a Penang seat, Zuraida stayed clear of controversy.

“We leave that to the central leadership to decide”.

It is learnt that Wan Azizah, former Permatang Pauh MP, may be barred from contesting for a term as she relinquished her seat in 2008 to pave the way for a by-election so that her husband, Anwar Ibrahim can contest and recapture the seat, which he did with an increased majority.

Some quarters are suggesting that Wan Azizah (left) should contest a state seat to qualify herself for theDCM I post as Mansor has been fielded in the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat.

Anwar, when announcing Mansor’s candidacy in Nibong Tebal - held by former PKR MP Tan Tee Beng who also quit the party in 2010 – said Mansor was needed at federal level should Pakatan capture Putrajaya in the coming GE.

Anwar (below) has also declared seats for four other PKR leaders – Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim (Bandar Tun Razak), PKR deputy chief Azmin Ali (Gombak), vice-president N Surendran (in Padang Serai) and secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution (from Machang to Kulim).

The Kulim and Padang Serai parliamentarians – who were former PKR leaders – have also left the party, citing disillusionment with the party’s leadership.

Stability needed, no major changes

Meanwhile, the PKR women’s wing will field 30 candidates in various seats across the country, which includes those in Parliament - Sabah (five, including Kota Belud and Semporna), Sarawak (three, includes Setampin, Petrajaya and Betong), Perak (two), Johor (two), Kedah (one), and Selangor (one - Ampang).

State seats the party is vying for women include – Sabah (three), Perak (two), Kedah (one), Selangor (six) and Penang (one – Teluk Ayer Tawar).

“I am unable to reveal the seats we are eyeing in Perak, Johor and Kedah as we are still negotiating,” said Zuraida.

“We are happy with the development of PKR Wanita in Sabah, the support is growing. Also, most of the women are young candidates below 35,” she added.

On whether there would be major changes in the PKR line-up this time, Zuraida denied this, saying, “We want to focus on stabilising the party”.

She said the party preferred to keep the incumbents unless there is a “real need for change”.

She added that places were “tight” in Selangor and Penang because Pakatan has won in those states and changes would be minimal or non-existent.

“It would be very difficult to negotiate to field our women in those states. However, in one or two cases, there may be swaps,” she cautioned, declining to identify those seats, and whether the exchanges would be with DAP or PAS.

“There may be cross-country swaps, which is possible, for example, Saifuddin would be shifting from Machang to Kulim, and Surendran, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, is being sent to Padang Serai in Kedah,” she said.

These swaps are for strategic purposes, explained Zuraida, because the incumbents are withdrawing for "health reasons".