Puteri Umno members were today warned that electing Azalina Othman Said as the wing's chief would provide the opposition with the fodder to continue attacking the two-year-old wing.

Raihan Suleiman Palestine, one of those aiming to contest for the post at the wing's inaugural elections this November, said if this happened then the members have only themselves to blame.

"Puteri members at the division level only have about three weeks to make up their minds, and I hope the brave ones in Puteri Umno would not hesitate to stand up and nominate candidates other than Azalina," she told malaysiakini .

Raihan said she did not want the wing's members to be humiliated by opposition parties, such as in the recent by-elections in Kedah, following the allegations of sexual misconduct against Azalina.

In April, a Malay tabloid Perdana Sari claimed that the 38-year-old lawyer had purchased a luxury car for her lover with party funds.

Azalina was handpicked by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to lead the wing which was formed to attract younger women into the Umno fold.

Nominations

"Unless there are other nominations, Puteri Umno members cannot make full use of the democratic process to pick a better leader," said Raihan, who is yet to receive a single nomination after 10 divisions concluded their meeting yesterday.

On the other hand, Azalina received 10 nominations while another potential contender Mastina Abdul Hamid also received none. Nomination period is from Sept 16 to Oct 15.

Despite the wing having 165 divisions nationwide, its constitution only requires a person to receive two nominations in order to be eligible to contest the top post.

Both Raihan and Mastina were sacked from the wing's exco line-up by Azalina early this year.

Although the Umno leadership discourages contest, Raihan said members at the grassroots level should have their own stand.

"If the young Umno members dared to go against party tradition and have a contest, I am sure they will gain respect from others, including the opposition," she added.

However, she reiterated that the members must be careful of who they choose.

"If Azalina continues to lead Puteri Umno after this election, please don't blame anyone when the opposition continues to label members as immoral," she said.

Hear both sides

In a related development, another sacked exco member Elly @ Zalilah Mohd Yusof said she hoped the Umno disciplinary committee will hear her side of the story regarding the reports she lodged against Azalina.

"I am surprised that I have yet to be called to testify on the report which I submitted (to party secretary-general Khalil Yaakob) last week," she told malaysiakini .

"I hope party leaders would listen to both sides, and not just Azalina alone," she added.

Elly also lodged a report with the police alleging the wing's chief of corruption. She also claimed that Azalina resorted to strong-arm tactics to intimidate her political foes.

"Since my report involves corrupt practices, I hope the police will investigate the matter so that justice can be done," she said, adding that the police have yet to record a statement from her.

In her reports, Elly had accused Azalina of registering four Puteri Umno vehicles under the names of those who have no links to the wing.

She also questioned the alleged discrepancies in the funds collected during a function to help the people of war-torn Afghanistan.

However, Azalina could not be reached for comment.