Patience, that is what Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Jalil has learned after her shocked defeat when defending her Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat 13 months ago.

shahrizat back to women ministry 130409 01.jpg After being excluded from the cabinet since her defeat, Shahrizat, who was appointed senator, today officially returned to her Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

“Now, I’m much more patient than 13 months ago,” she said in her speech when taking over her ministerial duties from Dr Ng Yen Yen, who has transferred to Tourism Ministry.

The newly-elected Wanita Umno chief also said she now has an even bigger task in representing some 1.3 million women members in the party, compare to 60,000 in the Lembah Pantai constituency.

In last year’s general elections. Shahrizat lost her seat to Nurul Izzah, dubbed as Puteri Reformasi, the eldest daughter to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim

She had to pinch herself

Shahrizat added that she did not expect a second chance and she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream.

However, she insisted that she deserved the opportunity given to her as she had continued to work hard after she was defeated by a political novice.

When asked by journalists later, Shahrizat said politics is, like life, full of possibilities.

“Many things can happen, we learn from both our win and losses. I think most important is for person in winning any election, you must have spirit and heart.

“For those who have lost in elections, you need do it with grace and dignity because tomorrow is another day - you do not know what will happen,” she added.

shahrizat back to women ministry 130409 02.jpg Ng, who was sitting next to Shahrizat, halted the press conference before journalists can throw more questions at the new minister.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s decision to appoint a number of losers in last year’s general election to the cabinet has been widely criticised by opposition.

They claimed that such 'backdoor' appointments - through naming them senators - showed Barisan Nasional’s flagrant disrespect to the decision made by the voters.