PAU2016: Automatic membership to empower Puteri - Mas Ermieyati

An automatic membership championed by Puteri UMNO is aimed at empowering the youngest party wing, which often loses membership due to the age factor.

Puteri chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said they had no intention of hurting the feelings of the Wanita movement when making the suggestion that women aged 18 to 35 years who registered their membership automatically became Puteri members.

The automatic membership, according to Mas Ermieyati became an issue between Puteri and Wanita due to the lack of explanation and each understood the issue differently.

"It is simpler if those 18 to 35 years old join Puteri without being given the option to choose. It does not mean, when we implement it, those in Wanita who are 32 years old have to join Puteri.

"It is okay, it is their right. This automatic membership involves new recruits, because, if it is not done, the Puteri membership will forever be inadequate," she told a media conference here, Wednesday.

Mas Ermieyati said she would discuss with UMNO Wanita chief Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to solve the problem after the 2016 UMNO General Assembly.

She also denied the membership issue had soured the relationship of Puteri and Wanita, claiming they had very close ties and were respectful of each other. -- BERNAMA