2 theSun | THURSDAY OCTOBER 15 2009

Umno Annual General Assembly 2009

Reports: Ng Kee Seng, Maria J. Dass, Tim Leonard, Karen Arukesamy, S. Hemananthani and Eva Yeong. Photos: Saiful Hizam Mansur, Kamariduan Mohd Noor and Sharil Amin

Puteri demands equal standing

PUTERI Umno wants the party
We must leadership to stop sidelining it
not in key party matters and using
be treated it only to fish for votes during
as mere elections.
‘attachments’.” “We want an equal stand-
ing as the Wanita and Youth
- Rosnah wings,” Puteri chief Datuk
Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin
said.
“We must not be treated
as mere ‘attachments’, neither
are our strengths only to beg
for votes during elections,” she
said in her maiden address as
the wing’s chief. Puteri has 789
central delegates.
DON’T TREAT US LIKE MERE
ATTACHMENTS, SAYS ROSNAH
“Do not leave us out when
it comes to the bigger chapters
(in the party). We want to be
parallel with others.”
Her speech was greeted
with cheers and claps from the
floor.
Rosnah urged Puteri mem-
bers to move along with the
other two wings in champion-
ing religion, race and country.
“We are not their com-
petitors but their strength and
support. The challenge is to
remain relevant and that starts
from within Puteri,” she said.
“We do not have to find out-
siders or cite external factors as
the cause of our weaknesses.
We must immediately act on
our weaknesses to improve.
The Opposition is not the cause
of our weaknesses.”
On the proposed amend-
ments to the party constitution,
Rosnah said making Puteri
branch chiefs and Youth chiefs
automatic division delegates
would enable more members
to elect their central leaders.
She said the spirit to
strengthen Umno should not
just prevail when “our presi-
dent is delivering his speech”.
“That spirit must be consist-
ent, spreading to the ground,”
she said.

Najib on his priority

DATUK SERI Najib Abdul Razak says fulfilling the people’s
aspirations is his priority as the prime minister.
“Every leader has his own style. I do not know what
style the people see in me, but I have made it a point that
whatever I do is to fulfil the people’s aspirations,” Najib,
who is also the Umno president, said in an interview with
Bernama in his office in Putrajaya in conjunction with the
Umno general assembly.
“This is what I give priority to in my work.”
Wanita
Wanita to be BN’s fixed deposit delegates
react to
SABAH Wanita Umno wants more of its leaders to be remarks
committee members at all levels of the party, including made by
the supreme council. Shahrizat in
Sabah delegate Asnah Tahlil echoed the calls by her her speech.
chief, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, for more women
representation in decision-making levels.
“We will be Umno’s and Barisan Nasional’s fixed
deposit in the next general election,” she said in her
debate.
“We hope the government will be smart in taking
care of its fixed deposit.
“We don’t want the fixed deposit to turn into over-
draft.”
Pepsi
apologises
No rifts in Youth, says Khairy for iPhone
THERE is no factionalism in Umno Youth, said its chief Khairy application
Jamaluddin. pg 8
He said yesterday’s general assembly of the wing was
proof that there was no disunity in Umno Youth, unlike
previously. “We no longer have Team 1, Team 2 or Team 3
Appoint Wanita to key posts: Shahrizat
... today we are one,” he said when wrapping up debates at WANITA Umno leaders leaders must give Wanita Devoting some 90% of only 280 Wanita delegates
the assembly held at the PWTC. must be given the role as equal chance to be picked her maiden address as the had the chance to elect the
The Rembau MP said he could feel the spirit of unity and mainstream party leaders, as leaders at higher party Wanita chief in an annual top leadership but with
camaraderie among the 795 delegates present. not just as a representation levels.” general meeting to wom- the amendments, at least
At Umno Youth’s polls held in March, Khairy had defeated of women, its chief, Datuk Addressing the Wanita en’s issues and their role, 22,500 women members
two opponents, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is Jerlun MP, Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, members in her speech Shahrizat said the issue of from branch, division and
and former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo. said. titled “Regenerating Malay- striking a balance between supreme council levels
“We must also project sians: Women’s Determi- profession and family also would be able to vote.
ourselves as qualified and nation,” Shahrizat said she affected the chances of Shahrizat said since
competent to take up key would continue fighting for women to succeed in their the political landscape of
party posts, not just fit to 30% women representation career since they are mostly the country had changed,
lead one of the three wings as decision-makers in the seen as the main caretaker Umno could not continue
of the party,” she said. party. of the family. to remain nostalgic over
“It is timely for women “This is important “Many women decided past glory without com-
to stop thinking as Wanita because the ‘glass ceiling’ to leave the workforce ing up with new success
Umno leaders only. We has resulted in potential early as they have to take stories.
must think outside of the and qualified women not care of the small ones in “If we want to remain
Wanita Umno circle and getting a place as decision- the family,” she said. politically relevant, we
work towards getting rec- makers,” she said. Shahrizat said she must stop relying on past
ognition for our role and “This phenomenon is expected some changes in deeds. We learn from his-
contributions. caused by the perception the party structure, involv- tory and past stories, we
“This is not impossible that only men are qualified ing women leaders, if the are required to move for-
looking at the leadership to hold posts at the highest proposed amendments to ward and attend to today’s
qualities and fighting spirit level and it is impossible the party constitution were demands,” she said.
displayed by Wanita. for women to be in that approved today. The wing has 795
Therefore, the top position.” Previously, she said, delegates.

Proposed amendments show party

willing to change, says Hisham
THE proposed amendments to Umno’s
constitution are a move in the right
direction and show that the party is
willing to change, Umno vice-president
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
said.
Hishammuddin, who is also
the chairman of the constitutional
amendment committee, said by al-
lowing for the amendments, the Umno
leadership had shown to be “great lead-
ers” who are willing to be challenged
democratically.
“The changes should be seen in
the light of Umno’s transformation. It
is going to be a historical milestone for
Umno,” he said at a press conference to
announce the proposed changes.
“The effects would be very meaning-
ful to the party, making way for the due
process of democracy,” he said.
The seven proposed amendments
would include increasing the number
of delegates who could vote to 146,500,
scrapping the quota system, relaxing
the conditions to contest the top post
and strengthening the Wanita, Youth
and Puteri wings.
On another note, Hishammuddin
said a special committee would be set
up to look into logistical aspects for the
next party polls “if the amendments are
approved”.
“We have to set up a committee to
look into cost factors, as well as the
logistics,” he said.