SHAH ALAM: Bersatu Srikandi chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin has called for greater female representation among candidates for both state assemblies and Parliament.
“We can no longer be seen as mere accessories on the candidate list, just there to fulfil a quota. We are not quota fillers — we are vote winners.
“We must prove that women are key to the party’s victory, the drivers of the party machinery, and leaders capable of voicing the people’s concerns in both state assemblies and Parliament,” she said during her address at Srikandi’s annual general meeting today.
Mas Ermieyati, who is also the Masjid Tanah MP, said that DAP had successfully highlighted many female leaders in Parliament.
“They were given space and opportunities, and today their women MPs have become the face of the party’s leadership. They hold the record with 25 per cent women MPs, while I am the only female Bersatu representative in Parliament,” she said.
She added that Srikandi must intensify efforts to elevate more women leaders within the party.
“As the largest Malay-Muslim coalition, Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional must lead the mission to empower women among the nation’s policymakers. Therefore, a platform to train, guide, and ensure more Srikandi members emerge as quality leaders must be established.”
In her speech, Mas Ermieyati defended the creation of the Srikandi Muda wing.
“Although we know that the establishment of Srikandi Muda may affect Srikandi’s membership numbers and branches, I firmly believe we must support this wing to ensure the continuity of Srikandi’s leadership.”
She acknowledged the challenges of engaging with the younger women’s group.
“They have a different mindset — they are more digital, open, critical, and courageous in expressing themselves. Some may see these differences as a problem, but I see them as a strength to be celebrated.
“We judge this generation through an outdated lens. They were born in the era of social media, in a time of rapid change, when the voices of youth can no longer be silenced or sidelined.
“If we want Srikandi Bersatu to remain relevant, we must become a bridge connecting the old generation with the new. Our experience must meet their courage, our maturity must merge with their creativity.”
She said Srikandi must continue to pave the way, extend a hand, and create space for the younger generation.
“We must ensure they step forward with confidence, proving that women are not merely successors, but the future leaders of the nation.”
Meanwhile, Bersatu Youth chief Muhammad Hilman Idham reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of Pakatan Harapan’s promise to abolish the Sedition Act.
“You once promised to abolish the Sedition Act, but now you’re using it to protect your own power. Remember, the world is round. When the time comes, Bersatu Youth will ensure that you too will be removed from Putrajaya,” said the Gombak Setia assemblyman.
He made the remarks following the arrest of the party’s Port Dickson division chief, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, allegedly over a speech at a ceramah in Bagan Serai, Perak.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
