PKR deputy Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha said she agreed with deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali that the party’s top leadership council could do with a review

After Azmin, PKR Wanita chief chides Anwar on party top appointments

Kenneth Tee
Malay Mail29 December 2018






PKR deputy Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha said she agreed with deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali that the party’s top leadership council could do with a review as it now had fewer women leaders despite their pledge to improve the position of women in the ‘New Malaysia’. — Picture by Azinuddin GhazaliMore


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim faced dissent from a wing chief today over his recent picks for the ruling party’s top leadership council.

PKR Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha said she agreed with deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali that the party’s top leadership council could do with a review as it now had fewer women leaders despite their pledge to improve the position of women in the “New Malaysia”.

“Sadly, this matter appears to have been neglected by the president in the appointments of the Keadilan central leadership council that saw a drop in its representation of women,” she said in a statement.

Haniza also said she was shocked that Anwar had “misinterpreted” Azmin’s call for a review on the basis of fair and just representation as a “personal” criticism of his leadership.

“What the deputy president said was correct, in which he said fair and just representation should include at least 30 per cent of women in the appointments.

“I implore the president not to be biased and see our criticisms as a positive thing in celebrating democracy,” she added.

Out of PKR’s 20 central leadership council members, only five are women now following Anwar’s announcement of its new appointments yesterday.

All five appointees to the council named are men: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as party secretary-general; Datuk Seri Dr Edmund R. Santhara Kumar as the deputy secretary-general; Rafizi Ramli, Chang Lih Kang and Ali Biju as the three vice-presidents.

Anwar had earlier posted a statement alluding to Azmin to set a good example to other party members by not using the media to raise party issues.