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Malaysian Islamic Party Allows Women Candidates In Next Elections
By IOL correspondent in Malaysia, Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA, Jan. 24 (IslamOnline) – Malaysia’s largest opposition party, the Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), decided to allow its women members to contest in general elections, the party said Thursday.
The Shura Council of the party, the highest decision-making body in the PAS, has effectively given the party the ‘go ahead’ to allow women candidates to contest seats in the 2004 elections.
PAS president, Fadzil Noor, said the council decided to retain a clause in the party’s constitution, last used in the 1969 general election, allowing women to be nominated as candidates.
“This will dispel criticisms that PAS is opposed to the betterment of women in the country,” he said in an interview to the local press.
The party did not allow women to participate in elections in the country, claiming that the political atmosphere in Malaysia during elections is dirty and immoral.
Since 1969 -- the last time a woman member of the party was candidate, the party has prevented women to contest seats, fuelling harsh criticism from its opponents and from women Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s).
In 2000, the party decided to carry out an extensive study on the issue and found out that there was an urgent need to allow women candidates to contest elections.
Women make up more than 55 percent of the Malaysian population of approximately 25 million people. They are a major force in politics when it comes to elections.
Several women leaders have already been identified as potential candidates for the party, including the head of the Women’s wing, Fatimah Zainab Ibrahim, who is expected to be fielded in the next general elections.
Other members who might contest polls include central working committee members Dr. Lo’Lo’ Ghazali and Dr. Mariah Mahmud.
The absence of women parliamentarians from PAS has made the party a target of the ruling United Malays National Organization (Umno), which claimed the Islamic party does not have respect for women.
PAS president said the decision would be explained to grassroot members to clear the air following the consistent attempts by Umno to convince PAS women members that they had no future with PAS.
“Although the party has made a ruling that they can contest, our women will still have to obtain permission from their husbands before we can name them as candidates,’’ he said.
However, Fadzil said he did not foresee any problem in that because all women who involved themselves in the party had obtained permission from their husbands.
“This will rid suspicions about the candidate and prevent lies from being spread by PAS enemies,’’ he added.
He said PAS would inform its allies, particularly Parti Keadilan Nasional and Parti Rakyat Malaysia, regarding the council’s decision as “they also want to know about the status of women in PAS.’’
PAS has previously said it was difficult for women to be parliamentarians since they had responsibilities at home. This comment caused a major uproar from women’s organizations criticizing the PAS of male chauvinism.
Malaysia is an Islamic country with approximately 60 percent of its population Muslims. It follows the democratic system of holding elections every five years.
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