Shahrizat still has what it takes to lead
Supporters: Wanita Umno chief committed, focused and best person to continue at helm
PETALING JAYA: Ask any Wanita Umno expert to name Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s key supporters and chances are that two names will crop up.
They are the movement’s assistant secretary Datuk Rosni Sohar from Selangor and its information chief Datuk Rosni Zahari from Pahang. These two Rosnis are among the Wanita Umno chief ’s top loyalists. Like many others in the wing, they have stuck with her through thick and thin.
With Umno facing its toughest general election yet, the question is whether Shahrizat still has what it takes to lead and deliver.
Shahrizat earned her reputation in politics as a giant killer. An ex-magistrate, she took down former Lord President Tun Mohamed Salleh Abas of Semangat 46 in the 1995 general election to win the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat.
She was appointed to the Cabinet in 2001 and has been Wanita Umno chief since 2009.
Since then, she has gone through some pretty turbulent times.
Shahrizat lost Lembah Pantai in 2008 to Nurul Izzah Anwar and has had to face an intense barrage of attacks over the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) issue.
Whether you’re her fan or not, Wanita Umno has not fractured and remains intact under her leadership. Her supporters say it’s by design, not chance.
Shahrizat, said Rosni Sohar, commands a strong following in Wanita Umno because she leads by example when it comes to loyalty.
“She remained loyal and committed to Umno despite not being a minister anymore,” said the Hulu Bernam assemblywoman.
“Compare that to the men who face the same situation; what do they do? They jump ship to join the parti bunga,” she said, referring to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) that has the hibiscus as its logo.
The lack of a Cabinet portfolio means Shahrizat does not get as much publicity as she used to. It creates the mistaken impression that Wanita Umno is no longer as active as it used to be.
A closer look shows the movement is trying to up its game. Apart from its traditional rural housewife or kampung makcik audience, the growing number of highly educated, independent and urban women has made them another valuable vote bank for the wing.
To woo them, Wanita Umno has tailored some of its programmes to suit their needs. An example is “Project Fearless”, which offers motivational talks to build confidence and help empower women.
“We want to convince them that they can succeed in non-traditional fields such as online business,” said Rosni Zahari.
The benchmark for Wanita Umno will be how far it can translate its outreach programmes into votes at the 14th general election (GE14).
The movement is referred to as “the backbone of Umno” and it has not lost its sting under Shahrizat.
The strong presence of the Wanita Umno machinery at the by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar partly contributed to Barisan Nasional’s wins.
The centrepiece of its GE14 preparations is Jalinan Rakyat (JR), a team comprising 226,000 Wanita Umno members. Each is responsible to track and woo 30 assigned voters.
The machinery is impressive but GE14 will still be a tough battle for Wanita Umno.
Rosni Zahari said the movement was concerned about PPBM and had reminded its members not to take the splinter party for granted.
She said older female voters generally feel that problems and issues such as 1Malaysia Development Bhd and price hikes can be resolved by the Government.
However, some younger female voters – especially university students – were influencing their parents into doubting the Government’s ability to get a handle on the problems. It is an issue Wanita Umno is keeping a close eye on.
Women make up 6.8 million or 51% of the country’s 13.4 million voters, so a lot is resting on Shahrizat’s shoulders.
Both Rosnis said they want Shahrizat to continue leading the wing for another term.
“I don’t see any other person who can lead Wanita Umno at this point. She’s committed and focused in what she wants to do to help women, and there is so much that we can still do,” said Rosni Zahari.
With Umno’s next party election delayed until after GE14, Rosni Sohar said Shahrizat will need another term.
Among Shahrizat’s potential successors Rosni Sohar reckons are exco members – namely the wing’s assistant treasurer Datuk Nor Azita Abdul Rahman, Parit Sulong MP Datuk Noraini Ahmad, former Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin and Datuk Noraslina Zainal Abidin.
“There are others as well who qualify. Another term for Shahrizat will allow her to groom and prepare her potential successors,” said Rosni Sohar.