KUALA LUMPUR – Fledgling Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) has created history by fielding women candidates in four of the six parliament seats (66.7%) in its general election debut.
In a statement by PBM de facto leader Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin following the nomination session today, she pointed out that one of its two candidates for state polls is also female.
Leading the charge for the fairer sex in the party, Zuraida is set to defend her Ampang federal seat, while party deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha is vying for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency.
Other PBM women parliamentary candidates are its women’s wing chief, Dr Daroyah Alwi (Kapar) and Dayang Rusimah (Labuan).
PBM’s Nazmahwati Walli, a businesswoman, is vying for the Bugaya state seat.
Commenting on the party’s move, Zuraida, who is also the caretaker plantation industries and commodities minister, said this was in line with the party’s agenda on women’s empowerment.
“PBM has gone over and above the 30% quota other political parties have set for women candidates,” she said.
“In PBM, we believe that women need to play a more dominant role in our male-dominated politics.
“Studies have shown that women are more sensitive to the needs of the electorate.
“I believe if more women hold senior positions of power, our society will not become as divisive as it is now,” Zuraida said.
She added that unlike some other parties where women were fielded as token representation, PBM’s female candidates were leaders of calibre.
“They have a proven track record in serving the local community and all of them had distinguished careers in their respective fields.”
Meanwhile, Haniza – who is also Lembah Jaya assemblyman in Selangor – said that women’s empowerment was one of PBM’s six core pillars.
The other five are multiracial engagement, youth empowerment, economic development, education, and the advancement of science and technology.
“We have women’s empowerment in our DNA.
“This is why we appeal to voters to give PBM a chance as we believe women leaders can be just as effective as their male counterparts, and women have more empathy,” she added. – The Vibes, November 5, 2022
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