logo
Fadhlina: PKR Women's wing must be ready for GE16, Sabah polls

Fadhlina: PKR Women's wing must be ready for GE16, Sabah polls

JOHOR BARU: The PKR Women's wing has been urged to begin preparations to face the 16th General Election (GE16) and upcoming Sabah state elections, which are currently in active planning stages.
In line with this, PKR Women's Chief Fadhlina Sidek called on the wing to remain alert and continuously prepared, particularly in terms of training and grooming potential candidates.
She said the move is crucial to ensure all outlined agendas are completed well in advance.
"The PKR Women's wing has organised several programmes, including training, to face the early challenge of the upcoming state election in Sabah.
"The programme, branded as 'Run to Win', is the core focus of PKR Women with a clear aim to win every contested seat.
"Our training emphasis is not only on talent but also on grooming potential candidates with strong ideals, communication skills, data training, the ability to connect with voters, and instilling confidence as candidates.
"Thus, we have also arranged not only training but also funding. The initiative to establish the 30WReps Fund aims to support women in the party who will contest in the Sabah state election and GE, with an initial fund of RM50,000," she said.
She was speaking at a press conference after delivering her keynote address at the 2025 PKR Women's National Congress, held here today.
Also present were PKR Women deputy chief Juwariya Zulkifli and Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) Women's deputy chief Gan Peck Cheng.
Fadhlina, who is also the member of Parliament for Nibong Tebal, said the establishment of the 30WReps Fund meant female candidates no longer need to worry about campaign financing.
She noted that this initiative addresses one of the biggest challenges faced by female candidates during elections.
"In addition, we are also supporting talent discovery and development through the Sekolah Wanita Keadilan (SWAN), which we have pioneered.
"God willing, we will continue to strengthen it by expanding the school nationwide. For now, we've implemented it in zones, but not yet in every individual state," she said.
She added that this specific zoning will help identify and cultivate more talent and potential leaders, especially to ensure that PKR women are truly ready to lead the country.
On another note, Fadhlina said Johor is an ideal location for talent scouting and promoting female leadership.
"We won seven parliamentary seats in Johor with the help of our PH allies. So, Johor is not just a venue, it is one of our greatest strengths, especially as a power corridor for general election victories.
"Hopefully, this will inspire and further strengthen the relationship within PH and the unity government, which we currently lead at the federal level, and bring that spirit to every part of the country," she said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How political musical chairs empties Malaysian pockets
How political musical chairs empties Malaysian pockets

Free Malaysia Today

time41 minutes ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

How political musical chairs empties Malaysian pockets

From Ismat Qayum Depending on who you asked in 2018, Malaysia either enjoyed or endured six prime ministers in six decades. With another four prime ministers in the ensuing four years, some have argued that this is the lagging effect of a maturing democracy. Others, however, bemoan that such musical-chairs politics will damage our country's standing. When Anwar Ibrahim cajoled his motley crew into forming the unity government, there was an implicit promise to all of us. With a supermajority in Parliament, they would have the political stability to enact overdue reforms. Ever since the six state elections in 2023, the overarching view has been that while the government's performance is underwhelming, the stalemate result was expected. Unfortunately, it also meant that any inkling of reformist sails had to be curbed by a don't-rock-the-boat mentality. The government has, all but in name, implemented a Ming vase strategy. Govern in caution, preserve the status quo, and this should result in success for the 16th general election. However, in this balancing act, there is a blind spot brewing within party politics. Recently, we saw two of the biggest sins committed in coalition politics. First, the ruling governing party, PKR, failed to take care of its own house. The party polls led to the unprecedented resignations of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from their ministerial posts. Rafizi has stepped down as the economy minister, and Nik Nazmi as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister. Historically, it has never boded well for Malaysia to see an incumbent deputy president ousted in such a manner – the current prime minister could tell you that firsthand. The second sin was arguably the tipping point: enabling ministers to shift houses. The impending entry of the investment, trade and industry minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who quit Umno and wants to join PKR, marks a worrying development in the story of this government. Already, the ever-opportunistic Dr Akmal Saleh, the Umno Youth chief, has challenged Tengku Zafrul to resign as a minister. If this rift between the two houses continues to widen, it will bring the question of stability to the forefront. If there's one thing I have learnt from fund managers, sovereign wealth funds, and development banks, it is the art of managing optics and expectations. Government is a test of credible commitments. That credibility boils down to a few key ingredients: sound macroeconomic fundamentals, a healthy business environment, and robust governance. In other words, credible commitments are a test of predictability. You need predictability in your policies. But, more importantly, you need predictability in your politicians. In 2011, an IMF working paper demonstrated that political instability negatively affects economic growth. This is unsurprising: can we name a single high-growth economic policy from the lame-duck period of 2020-2022? What's more shocking is that for every additional Cabinet change, a country's annual growth rate decreases by 2.39 percentage points! If even Malaysians are unsure about the policy priorities (or lack thereof) of incoming ministers, how are foreign investors supposed to feel comfortable about deploying capital? More pressing is the question of the people's pockets. For every ringgit we are being taxed, how much are we getting in the quality of public infrastructure and services? Governments have to increase their revenues to increase the amount being redistributed to public goods. There are fundamentally two ways to do that: either increase taxes or have sustainably high growth rates. As the pie (read: economy) continues to grow, a bigger amount can be given to build better schools and hospitals. And make no mistake, the Madani government has performed well on most economic indicators. Inflation has dropped to 1.4%, 2024's GDP growth was a robust 5.1%, and FDI is at the highest in the nation's history. The trouble is, this performance is confined to a single year. For the wave to cascade equitably across society, one must patiently build it over several years. Yet, we are already seeing the wave slow down: Malaysia's Q1 GDP 2025 performance was below expectation at 4.4% – the third straight quarter of slower growth. Factor in the disruption of US president Donald Trump's tariffs, and political instability becomes something the government cannot afford. It would dry the taps of FDI inflows, reduce high-value job creation, and impede wage growth. Just think about how Malaysia's wages have barely inched since the fallout of the Asian Financial Crisis. Without a predictable environment, the government would fail in its test of credible commitments. History would repeat itself: the pockets of everyday Malaysians will feel the same, or even worse, 25 years from now. There is a caveat to the Ming vase strategy: it rarely works for incumbents. When US vice-president Kamala Harris campaigned on a platform against alienation, her message failed to resonate with everyone. Contrast that to the decisiveness of the Canadian Liberals, who in the final stretch, ousted Justin Trudeau with Mark Carney, resulting in a general election victory. The unity government must heed this lesson. Incumbents only win if they are willing to be bold. If they stand any chance of stopping their sliding popularity, they must restore stability and enact their implicit promise of reforms. The worry is that even then, it might be too late. Ismat Qayum is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

Tengku Zafrul Shoots Down By-Election Rumours, Says This Wasn't Why He Switched Parties
Tengku Zafrul Shoots Down By-Election Rumours, Says This Wasn't Why He Switched Parties

Rakyat Post

timean hour ago

  • Rakyat Post

Tengku Zafrul Shoots Down By-Election Rumours, Says This Wasn't Why He Switched Parties

Subscribe to our FREE Tengku Zafrul, who's still currently the Investment, Trade, and Ministry Minister, released a statement on his official Instagram to address rumours of a Selangor by-election following his decision to leave Umno and join PKR. He was referring to the speculation alleging that this by-election will pave the way for him to become Selangor menteri besar after joining PKR. He added that he doesn't agree with holding a by-election without a good reason because it uses the people's time and money. Tengku Zafrul also shared that he will continue to serve his term as minister until December 2025 and leaves the decision of his ministership in the hands of the prime minister. He stressed that no discussions had taken place with regard to triggering a by-election in Selangor and that it was never among the factors that led to his decision to leave Umno. I'm always ready to serve the country in any capacity. I left the corporate world with the intention to serve and as long as my services are needed, I'm ready to continue contributing without needing a position. Tengku Zafrul, Investment, Trade, and Ministry Minister In his statement, he reiterated that the decision to leave Umno was done on his own accord and a personal choice. He admitted it wasn't an easy decision and has deeply considered all views and opinions given. He also thanked his peers in Umno, including the leadership, for supporting him throughut his time in the party. On 30 May, Tengku Zafrul surprised many when he announced his decision to resign as an Umno member and voiced his intention to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). READ MORE: His shocking announcement came a few days after Rafizi Ramli resigning as the Economic Minister and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepping down as the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister after they both lost a contest for the deputy president in PKR. The highly contested role went to Nurul Izzah Anwar. Both news of resignation also happened during the Asean Summit week. READ MORE: READ MORE: Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

Fielding non-Muslims could help PAS woo non-Malays, says analyst
Fielding non-Muslims could help PAS woo non-Malays, says analyst

Daily Express

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Express

Fielding non-Muslims could help PAS woo non-Malays, says analyst

Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 By: Faiz Zainudin Text Size: An analyst said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards Pakatan Harapan could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party addresses deeper, structural issues. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Analysts have proposed two key strategies for PAS to win over non-Malay voters, namely fielding non-Muslim candidates in safe seats and highlighting the party's achievements in its administration of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis – also known as the SG4 states. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS must move away from political rhetoric if it hoped to shift perceptions among non-Malay voters. Advertisement 'So far, PAS has yet to demonstrate that it is a better option than DAP or PKR, as there's little to be proud of in its administration of the SG4 states. 'PAS must tone down its extreme rhetoric and focus on showcasing its ability to govern by making the SG4 a better model than the states governed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Barisan Nasional. That's what it needs to do now,' he told FMT. PAS vice-president Amar Nik Abdullah previously said that the party was targeting non-Malay voters who were disillusioned with the government ahead of the 16th general election, acknowledging however PAS's struggle to win over that segment. He said PAS faced the challenge of finding more convincing ways to gain the trust of non-Malay voters while preserving its clean image and integrity to maintain its support among the youth. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards PH could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party could address deeper, structural issues. 'These include concerns about religious freedom and racial harmony, and rejecting theocratic narratives. Without such changes, discontent with PH will only be temporary, as non-Malay voters still find it difficult to accept Perikatan Nasional (PN). 'PAS also needs to overcome the longstanding distrust, including the fact that it once branded non-Muslims as infidels (kafir) – something that still lingers in the memory of many non-Malays.' PAS must be sincere in fielding non-Muslim candidates Awang Azman added that dissatisfaction with PH did not automatically mean that the non-Malays were ready to support PAS. 'PAS must be bold and sincere in placing non-Muslim candidates in winnable seats – just as Umno does with MIC and MCA – as a genuine sign of cooperation with non-Muslims. This shouldn't just be rhetoric or a symbolic gesture,' he said. Rusdi Omar of Universiti Utara Malaysia said that to attract non-Malay support, PAS must move away from an overemphasis on religious, racial, and royal sentiments, and adopt a more moderate approach. Meanwhile, Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said PAS and PN would need to work harder than PKR, DAP, and Amanah did when they were in the opposition by championing mature politics free from racial elements. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store