TASEK GELUGOR – Penang Wanita Umno has identified candidates who will contest in the state for the looming 15th general election (GE15) – including from component parties and also Friends of Barisan Nasional (BN) – to be presented to the party leadership.
Its head Datuk Norliza Abdul Rahim said she hoped more state and parliamentary seats will be allocated to women in GE15 with a target of at least 30%.
“During the Johor and Melaka elections, women candidates won and their success may be due to the people’s confidence in women, as women in the party machinery did engage with the grassroots, so the people would know women candidates better. I hope the party leadership will provide opportunities to women candidates.
“Whether they get it or not, that’s a secondary question, what’s important is that we prioritise women candidates holistically, with other candidates from BN component parties. So it isn’t limited to just Wanita Umno,” she said.
Norliza said the wing has been carrying out nationwide surveys on voter sentiment and engaging them at the grassroots level following an increase in the number of voters.
The sole seat held by a woman from BN and Umno in Penang in GE14 is the Permatang Berangan state constituency, won by Nor Hafizah Othman. – Bernama, September 17, 2022
