PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth has always been one of the most vocal wings in party. Many of the wing’s leaders have gone on to become important leaders in the country.
The vocal wing is now seen as a rite of passage for any Umno leader who wants to make it big in the party.
But the same can’t be said of Puteri Umno who is synonymous with pink. When it was set up back in 2001, it immediately upset Wanita Umno leaders who viewed the wing as upstarts.
Although they were supposed to complement the Wanita, the younger wing was seen as a threat and duplicating the elders' role.
“Some (Wanita members) see it as a threat. It depends on their personality,” said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the wing's first chief.
In fact, the sacking of the former deputy prime minister and now Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was seen as a catalyst for young women to join or support PKR and PAS.
Realising this, former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad agreed to the formation of the wing.
While things have warmed up since then, there is still some tension between both the wings. In essence, the Puteri wing is a platform and avenue for women aged 18-35 to hone their leadership skills and show their potential before making a step up.
Azalina is the biggest and most visible product of the wing. She was appointed Youth and Sports Minister before moving on head the Tourism Ministry.
Another former chief, Datuk Noraini Ahmad, was made Deputy Human Resources Minister. The Parit Sulong MP was made chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) recently.
Puteri’s current chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, who will step down as she has exceeded the age limit for office bearers, is currently the Deputy Works Minister.
However, only Azalina was seen to be vocal and aggressive. Many believe that the wing lacked the focus after she stepped down. Many also think the wing doesn’t have much impact unlike Wanita who are considered to be a backbone of Umno.
“I don’t think it has been very successful, at least not what I would have expected,” said Azalina when asked about Puteri’s impact.
In fact, it is difficult for someone making the step up from Puteri Umno to contest for a post in Wanita, she said.
Azalina herself wanted to go for the top post in Wanita against incumbent Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil but stepped down for reasons she has yet to divulge.
Rosnah is going for an executive seat in Wanita and it will be interesting to see how she fares in the polls to be held on Oct 12.
As for the Puteri wing itself, the contest for the chief’s post is between Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Jamilah Hanim Othman. The former is Masjid Tanah MP while the latter is PJ Selatan Puteri head.
Indications are that Ermieyati is the favourite to win as she has strong backers in the form of Malacca chief Minister Datuk Idris Haron.
Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that while Puteri has played an important role in national politics, the role is more "background."
“They might not be loud or make sensitive statements but they are on the ground,” he said. Khoo believes that both Wanita and Puteri might benefit if they merged, benefitting from younger and dynamic personalities.
In fact, while Puteri workers are known for their good work during election campaigns, it is arguable that the position of women in Umno has declined sharply since Puteri was formed. The lack of women ministers from the party is surely telling.
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