Dyana: Puteri Umno just event organisers
Published: Nov 23, 2014 5:00 AM | Updated: Nov 23, 2014 8:00 AM
DAP's Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud said young women leaders in Pakatan Rakyat were moving up the ladder, compared with their Umno counterparts who akin to event organisers.
DAP's Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud said young women leaders in Pakatan Rakyat were moving up the ladder, compared with their Umno counterparts who akin to event organisers.
Hitting back today at Umno Wanita assistant secretary Rosni Sohar who yesterday was reported calling Dyana and her DAP Malay women colleagues "instant noodle leaders", she said she was "pleased" they were drawing the attention of their Umno counterparts.
"I am not surprised by Rosni’s remarks as I know that the notion of youth empowerment are foreign concepts to a party that does not even have an age limit for the post of ketua pemuda (youth chief).
"However, it is unfortunate that the young, dynamic and capable women of Puteri Umno are mostly confined to doing community visits, mobilising crowds for party events and organising charity events.
"While these are important work, I believe that young women must also be empowered and given real opportunities to lead," said the political secretary to Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang (centre in photo).
The former candidate of this year’s Teluk Intan by-election said that although Umno boasts that it has 390,000 young women among its ranks, there is little sign of them in political and decision-making processes.
“With the might of the federal government machinery behind them and with 390,000 members, which is double the total number of DAP members nationwide, Puteri UMNO should be a real political force in our country and not merely relegated to organising ‘anak angkat’ programmes and other community work.
“Unfortunately, that is the fate of young women in Umno and BN,” Dyana said.
'Relegated to community work'
She pointed out that in the recent Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Beijing, among the resolutions passed by the young women’s caucus include ensuring meaningful and effective participation of young women in political spaces, decision-making platforms and accountability mechanisms.
It also urged the creation of environments to nurture young women leaders and end all forms of harassment of women, including political harassment.
Dyana said these objectives cannot be achieved under Umno and BN leadership, because its women are relegated to community work.
“Instead, we (in Pakatan Rakyat) are given the opportunities to continually push the boundaries through effective political participation, and hence ensuring the voice of young Malaysian women is represented and accounted for,” she said.
Hitting back today at Umno Wanita assistant secretary Rosni Sohar who yesterday was reported calling Dyana and her DAP Malay women colleagues "instant noodle leaders", she said she was "pleased" they were drawing the attention of their Umno counterparts.
"I am not surprised by Rosni’s remarks as I know that the notion of youth empowerment are foreign concepts to a party that does not even have an age limit for the post of ketua pemuda (youth chief)."However, it is unfortunate that the young, dynamic and capable women of Puteri Umno are mostly confined to doing community visits, mobilising crowds for party events and organising charity events.
"While these are important work, I believe that young women must also be empowered and given real opportunities to lead," said the political secretary to Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang (centre in photo).
The former candidate of this year’s Teluk Intan by-election said that although Umno boasts that it has 390,000 young women among its ranks, there is little sign of them in political and decision-making processes.
“With the might of the federal government machinery behind them and with 390,000 members, which is double the total number of DAP members nationwide, Puteri UMNO should be a real political force in our country and not merely relegated to organising ‘anak angkat’ programmes and other community work.
“Unfortunately, that is the fate of young women in Umno and BN,” Dyana said.
'Relegated to community work'
She pointed out that in the recent Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Beijing, among the resolutions passed by the young women’s caucus include ensuring meaningful and effective participation of young women in political spaces, decision-making platforms and accountability mechanisms.
It also urged the creation of environments to nurture young women leaders and end all forms of harassment of women, including political harassment.Dyana said these objectives cannot be achieved under Umno and BN leadership, because its women are relegated to community work.
“Instead, we (in Pakatan Rakyat) are given the opportunities to continually push the boundaries through effective political participation, and hence ensuring the voice of young Malaysian women is represented and accounted for,” she said.
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