We did not reject Wan Azizah because of her gender, says PAS youth

 

A PAS youth leader says the party rejected Wan Azizah Ismail for Selangor menteri besar because it doubted her capability and not because she was a woman. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: PAS has defended its decision to support Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as Melaka’s first woman chief ministerial candidate although it had previously rejected PKR’s Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for Selangor menteri besar.

PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said PAS had rejected Wan Azizah because the Islamist party felt she was incapable of running the state.

He said those who are now raising the issue do not know the facts of the matter.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, he said, had explained that the rejection was not linked to her gender but more on her “capability, among others.”

Despite the explanation, he said the issue has been raised again.

Ahmad Fadhli said PAS had been consistent in appointing women as leaders and exco members.

“Are they (the critics) not aware that PAS has fielded women candidates for a long time? In Kelantan, PAS has fielded women candidates since the first election,” he said.

Earlier, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu had slammed the Islamist party’s “flip-flop attitude”, pointing to how it rejected Wan Azizah but was now embracing Mas Ermieyati. - FMT