KUALA LUMPUR: Puteri Umno wants to ensure it is not left out of Barisan Nasional’s candidate line-up for the upcoming Melaka state election, after being given representation in the Negri Sembilan polls.
While not setting a specific target, its chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi said she hoped the wing would be given the opportunity to contest between three and five seats, while leaving the final decision to the party leadership.
"Preparations by the wing at the branch, division and state levels are well underway, and I pray for the best for the party and Barisan as we face the state election," she told a press conference here on Sunday (Aug 23).
"If you ask us in terms of the number of seats to be contested, we would be grateful if we could get three to five seats, but we are leaving it to the party leadership.
"The wing should not be left behind when it comes to fielding candidates. Similar to Negri Sembilan, despite Barisan not contesting all the seats, the wing had its own candidate."
In Negri Sembilan, Puteri Umno Rasah division chief Siti Nur Umaira Hasim was the wing’s sole candidate, winning Labu in a three-cornered fight.
Asked if there had been any discussions with the party’s top leadership on fielding candidates for the Melaka state election, Nurul Amal said no formal discussions had taken place.
"There have been some informal discussions, but the party is currently focused on the Umno general assembly, which will take place from Sept 9 to 12, and maybe we will continue the discussions after that.
"Puteri just wants to ensure that it is represented among the candidates.
"We are not setting a specific number of seats and... we cannot say (which seats) yet because, given the current political situation, we need to look at the plans going forward first.
"Only then can we determine which areas would be suitable for Puteri candidates," she added.
Meanwhile, on preparations for the general assembly, Nurul Amal said the wing’s focus this year would be on celebrating its 25th anniversary and highlighting its maturity and leadership responsibilities.
"Puteri is considered the young women’s wing of Umno. When we talk about women in politics in Malaysia, we often talk about the 30% target, but sometimes we forget that the number also encompasses young women.
"As a young wing of Umno, we strongly hope that this will no longer just be a talking point but a priority for the party so that we can bring forward the voices of women in Malaysia," she said.
