Pas Muslimat wing remains 'low profile', focuses on working for the people

PAS'' Ulama Council and Youth wing have been vocal in asking the party''s central leadership to end political cooperation (tahaluf siyasi) with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) during its 63rd Muktamar, which was held from April 27 till today.

However, the party''s Muslimat (Women''s) wing took a different approach, and seemed not ''too bothered'' with the issue.

This was evident when the motion to sever political cooperation with its allies was not touched in the wing''s annual meeting on Thursday.

The closing speeches by representatives from each state also did not directly touch on PAS'' political cooperation with any other party. Instead, they focused on ''less sensational'' issues such as proselytising, welfare, women and consumerism, cost of living, family law, as well as preparations ahead of 14th General Elections (GE14).

The wing''s support for ending the political cooperation, however, was voiced through the motion tabled by the Ulama Council during the debate yesterday, and they left it up to the Syura Council to make a final decision on the matter.

Answering a question on the matter, the Muslimat chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh said the wing seemed to be ''silent'' on the issue because it had already been discussed at it''s annual conference last year.

"The Muslimat wing had already brought up this issue in last year''s conference. We are more advanced. This motion had been brought to the muktamar in Kelantan so that the Syura Council could do a study on our relationship with PKR.

"At the time, the other wings did not bring up (this proposal) yet, we did. So this time there was a motion, but we had already discussed it a year ago, so why should we discuss it again. We just accepted the motion and we leave it to the Syura Council (to decide), " she told Bernama.

Noting that the issue of political cooperation was now in the hands of the central leadership, Nuridah said the matter should be left to them, and avoid being debated in public.

"Maybe people look at us as ''low profile'', but I think that''s better. What''s important is I do my job for the Muslimat wing and we go to the people. Now we should focus more on working for the people," she said.

Yesterday, the party at its Muktamar unanimously passed a motion to sever ties with PKR.

Commenting on the role of women in the party, Nuridah said it was very important, especially in terms of meeting the voters before GE14.

"Muslimat are actually core pillars. The role of women is very important, especially to go to meet voters. Women can go up to the house from the front to the kitchen, this is undeniable. Even the men would ''surrender'' if the women were not here...it''s just like a household," she said.

On PAS'' willingness to increase the quota for women candidates, and to ensure that 45 per cent of candidates for GE14 were youths, she said Muslimat would go down to the state-level to find the appropriate candidates, before submitting the list to the leadership.

She said there were no restrictions for young women from the party to contest in GE14 as there was already high awareness among them about Islam and to uphold the interests of the official religion of Malaysia, as well as defend the nation.

-- BERNAMA