KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Umno will be tabling a motion to elevate the status of its chief to that of a "deputy president" at the party’s general assembly that will kick off tomorrow.
Its chief Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad said this is because recognition should be given to the wing which has 1.2 million members.
She said the feedback from Umno’s Executive Committee and Supreme Council on the proposal so far was very positive with president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi saying that such a motion was acceptable.
Noraini added that such a demand also required a simple majority vote by way of a show of hands from its delegates.
“There would be a special motion proposing the amendment of the party constitution and our particular motion would be under the overall push to empower the women’s wing.
“The amendment proposes that those elected to the role of Wanita Umno chief during party polls would automatically become the second deputy president which would be able to serve Umno in its capacity and would be third in the lineup.
“This will not only elevate Wanita Umno’s status but confer due recognition for us and the work we have done for the party so far," Noraini said in her opening speech at the Wanita Umno delegates' conference, here, today.
Earlier she said that the motion had been placed on the back-burner for some 10 years now and Wanita Umno had only been recognised as the "backbone" of the party when former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said so.
Asked whether such an amendment would reflect on Umno's preparedness to accept a woman president and a female prime minister, Noraini however refused to commit.
She said that generally people were ready for a woman prime minister.
Umno has traditionally had one deputy president and three vice-presidents, while the Wanita chief was a standalone post, along with the Umno Youth and Puteri chiefs.
Last night, Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan opened the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
The Umno General Assembly this year will involve a total of 5,603 delegates nationwide, including 976 Wanita delegates, Youth (973) and Puteri (960).
The assembly this year with the theme “Umno – A Struggle” represents the second year the party is functioning as an opposition after Umno and Barisan Nasional lost in the 14th General Election in May last year.