PETALING JAYA, Aug 5 — Fuziah Salleh today joined the race against Haniza Talha to lead the PKR women’s wing, which she claimed had deviated from the party’s “Reformasi” ideals to a culture of yes-men and chasing positions.
Fuziah, who is the outgoing PKR training director and central committee member, said she wants to build a women’s wing that is able to raise constructive feedback.
“I think the women’s wing is a bit off-track since I left.
“For example, it’s difficult for them to say no, difficult for them to question, always hoping for positions. You are Ketua Wanita (women’s wing chief), you want to be local councillors, that sort of mentality,” she told reporters here after filing her nomination papers to be Wanita chief.
She said the women’s wing currently comprises just followers, saying: “I think they have not been trained to give constructive feedback to the Wanita chief, just follow, follow.”
Fuziah said her leadership style was consultative and focused on mentoring, saying: “I don’t dictate. If we dictate Wanita, Wanita doesn’t develop.”
“It doesn’t develop Wanita’s capabilities. I want to be surrounded by leaders. I don’t want to be surrounded by followers,” she said, adding that followers would be unable to drive a leader to greater contribution as they would fail to question the leader’s ideas.
Fuziah said both she and PKR deputy president hopeful Rafizi Ramli are campaigning for a return to “Reformasi” or Reformation ideals which PKR was founded on — where the best person is appointed for positions based on merit and “not your cronies, not your good friends, not the party branch leader”.
Fuziah said party members should re-evaluate if they want the party to follow Barisan Nasional’s alleged feudal system where politicians fight for projects, local councillor positions, or to be fielded as election candidates.
She noted that the party was now facing the challenges of the lure of power and positions, as compared to the challenges of hardship in the 20-year-old party’s initial days.
Fuziah was PKR Wanita chief from 2000 to 2007, before becoming PKR election director until 2010, and subsequently vice-president from 2010 to 2013.
Zuraida Kamaruddin will not be defending her position as PKR Wanita chief, but is said to be eyeing the PKR vice-president post.
Fuziah’s rival and outgoing PKR women deputy chief Haniza, however, disagreed that the women’s wing was just made up of followers.
“I want to ask whether putting at least 30 per cent women is regressive or a move forward? Is creating a women-friendly city a yes-man move or dynamic or progressive, fulfilling the needs and wishes of women?
“We are the wing that from early on expressed our views on taking Dr Mahathir as candidate for prime minister. We are not afraid to voice our views,” the outgoing Selangor Wanita chief told reporters, referring to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Haniza is campaigning based on her team’s “track record” in championing women’s interests, such as pushing for 30 per cent women representation in decision-making positions as well as ongoing efforts to build a women-friendly sports complex and create a women-friendly city.
Fuziah’s running mate is Selangor exco member and Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail, who is contesting the Wanita deputy chief post.
Haniza’s running mate for the Wanita wing’s second-highest post is outgoing PKR Wanita vice-chief and Sementa assemblyman Dr Daroyah Alwi.
