Keadilan has decided to allow young women to be part of the youth wing in the soon-to-be-merged Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) .

The decision, which has been endorsed by the PKR transitional supreme council, was made yesterday morning after a meeting to discuss the issue. It had been vigorously debated ever since the idea was mooted three years ago.

A reliable party source told malaysiakini that the issue was discussed at length during the meeting and that the few who had initially opposed the idea have now accepted that the move would be good for the new party.

It is learnt that the structure of the youth leadership line-up will be decided by the transitional PKR youth leader Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor.

Details on Aug 3

Contacted today, Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail confirmed the decision but declined to elaborate on the meeting.

"We met yesterday and made the decision. An official announcement will be made at the launch of the new party on Aug 3. Details on the decision will also be revealed on that day," she said.

Welcoming the decision, Mohd Ezam described it as "a very positive and progressive move".

"The decision shows that Keadilan has not diverted from its reformasi spirit and is not afraid to change for the benefit of the people. This is in line with the demand and vision of our youths," he said.

"We want to make sure that the youth wing will truly represent the views of the youths, irrespective of gender. This is also the reason why we decided to change the party's constitution to limit the age of the youth leader to 40."

He said that he would be meeting the youth wings at the state level to explain the decision.

On the new youth exco line-up, Mohd Ezam said that the matter would be discussed with his PRM counterpart after the launch.

"I will call a meeting with my PRM colleagues after that. In the meantime, we will continue to hold informal meetings to ensure that the merger goes on smoothly," he said.

Choice for women

Asked if women members would truly be accepted by Keadilan youth, Mohd Ezam said they will have the same rights as men and will be allowed to hold any position.

He disagreed that the inclusion of women into the youth wing could render PKR Wanita useless.

"I don't think Wanita will ever be that. Of course, they handle different issues. So, after reaching a certain age, the women can join the Wanita section and continue their struggle for the party," he said.

He also stressed that young women are not restricted to joining the youth wing. They can also choose to join the Wanita wing if they want to.

Sharing Mohd Ezam's sentiments, PRM youth chief Faisal Sanusi said he was happy that the thorny issue has finally been settled.

"I am confident that this will attract new members, especially young women, to PKR," he said.

His deputy, Latheefa Koya who is happy with the long-awaited decision, hoped that those not keen on the change will be mature enough to accept the decision.

"I am glad that we do not have to debate the issue any more as this will enable the youth to move on to more important issues like the merger process," she said.

"We can't wait to face the challenges awaiting us in the new party."