KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 – A total of 168 women are contesting in the May 5 polls, an increase of almost 40 per cent from the 120 women contested in the 2008 general election. According to the statistics issued by the Election Commission (EC) today, 56 of the women are contesting for parliamentary seats, while the remaining 112 were running for state seats.
BN is fielding the highest number of female candidates with 22 running for parliamentary seats and 49 for state seats. PAS, on the other hand, is fielding seven female candidates for parliamentary seats and 18 for state seats, while Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is fielding 11 female candidates for parliamentary seats and 19 for state seats.
DAP is fielding four female candidates for parliamentary seats and 18 for state seats. The number of women contesting on Independent tickets has also increased to 12 this year compared with only three in 2008. The one woman who captured the most attention is Wanita Umno vice-chief Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim. Her move to submit her nomination papers as Independent candidate for Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seat (Perak) today caused her to be sacked from Umno.
Teratai incumbent Janice Lee Ying Ha, who won the parliamentary seat on DAP ticket in 2008 polls, also finds herself sacked from the party after she decided to defend the seat as an Independent candidate. Two female singing sensations, who are popular back in the 80s and early 90s, Aishah and Dayangku Intan, are also contesting for parliamentary seats in the polls.
Aishah, whose real name is Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, is representing PAS in Jempol (Negeri Sembilan), while Dayangku Intan or Tengku Intan Tengku Abdul Hamid, is representing PKR in Pengerang (Johor). The youngest female candidate in the 13th general election (GE13) is Anis Afida, 24, who is representing PAS in Penawar state constituency, while the
eldest female candidate is Maimun Yusuf @ Tok Mun, 94, who is running as an Independent candidate for Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.
Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Shirlin will defend her parliamentary seat in Papar, Wanita Gerakan chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe in Taiping, while Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kei will contest for a parliamentary seat for the
first time in Padang Serai (Kedah). PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar will also defend her Lembah Pantai
parliamentary seat. In the 2008 polls, 120 women contested, 61 of whom were represented BN, 18 (DAP), 24 (PKR), 13 (PAS), three (Independent) and one (Others).
BERNAMA
