Puteri UMNO Wants Increase In Candidate Quota For GE14




SEREMBAN, Aug 6 (Bernama) --Puteri UMNO today has requested the party's top leadership to consider increasing the quota for Puteri members to contest in the 14th general election (GE14).

Its chief, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin, said the request was made based on the increase in the number of young female voters, which made up more than 50 per cent of the total number of registered voters in the country.

"I have discussed the matter with the party president (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak)...because, right now, we only have four (elected representatives) who are most likely to represent Puteri (in the GE14) compared to nine in the last general election because five of them have been absorbed into Wanita UMNO due to age factor.

"So, we need more young women to be fielded as candidates because they make up over 50 per cent of the total voters. The same goes at university level, over 70 per cent of university students are female.

"These women will be able to champion many issues, including economic and environment, if they have representatives either at the Dewan Rakyat or Dewan Negara," she told reporters after opening the Seremban Puteri UMNO Delegates Conference, which was also attended by Seremban UMNO chief Datuk Abu Ubaidah Redza, here today.

Meanwhile, Mas Ermieyati praised the initiative taken by Seremban Puteri UMNO to allow members with hearing disability to attend and participate in the conference by providing them with a sign language interpreter.

She said it was indeed a very unique and good move, especially in reducing the gap between normal Puteri members and those with hearing disability.

"I was surprised to see a sign language interpreter standing there interpreting my speech. I think this is a very good and unique approach. This has indeed brought us closer to persons with disabilities (OKU)," she said.

Apart from Mas Ermieyati's speech, the sign language interpreter also interpreted the speeches of Abu Ubaidah and Seremban Puteri UMNO chief Zabedah P. Mastar.

-- BERNAMA