MUKTAMAR The PAS women today asked the party to give them a bigger role and judge them based on their capability, not gender. 
 
Speaking at the 60th muktamar, Muslimat wing delegate Norhayati Bidin lamented women's lack of role in PAS current policy making set up.
 
"How many Muslimat leaders are involved in the party's policy making? Are they mere token numbers or none at all?
 
"Are PAS Muslimat only seen as decorations at events or merely to prepare tea to quench one's thirst?" she told delegates in Batu Pahat, Johor.
 
Norhayati (left) added that while there are Islamic arguments about women's role in leadership, this can change over time.
 
"The Islamic principles that determine what position women can hold changes according to the times," she added.
 
She quoted prominent cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, emphasising that women in Islam are allowed to even become prime ministers.
 
"As such, we request that the Ulama wing and the syura council to look into accepting women as policy makers as well as state and national leaders," she said.
 
Norhayati also called for an amendment to the party's constitution to introduce a woman vice-president as well as an allocation for women to hold the post of a deputy state commissioner.

Women make up a big number of the members in the party, but they have only recently started to speak up for better representation.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had also been criticised by factions within the party for rejecting PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail from holding the Selangor MB post.

Hadi had denied that the rejection has anything to do with her gender. 

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