Wanita People's Progressive Party (PPP) wants to be like the other women's wings of the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties - to be given a place in government.

Wanita PPP chief Josephine Anne said the party had struggled and worked together with the other components and given its solid suppport to BN, especially in the general elections and by-elections.

Therefore, she said, the time had come for PPP, particularly its women's wing, to be given a bigger role and recognition like that accorded to their counterparts in the other BN component parties.

"We (Wanita PPP) have prepared ourselves to serve in government but it's just that we have not been given a post.

"We would like to have our representative in government so that we can voice our opinions on issues from a more authoritative platform, as now we can only voice them out during the Wanita BN meetings," she said after the opening of the

Wanita PPP annual assembly by Wanita BN deputy chief Kamilia Ibrahim at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

She said Wanita PPP also requested that each BN component party which fulfilled the criteria to be given at least five senator posts - three for the party's main body, one for the women's wing and the other for the youth wing.

Meanwhile, Kamilia said the Wanita PPP's request to be given a post in government had a basis as they too had issues and views which they wished to put forward to the government, as well as have a role in decision making.

She said the issue of being sidelined should not exist as PPP had always, together with the other components, carried out programmes organised by BN to get close to the grassroots.

"The PPP has an important role to play and it had cooperated in all the previous general elections and by-elections. Together, we worked as a family to ensure victory for BN," she said.

Earlier, Puteri PPP head Nur Farina Hashim, in her speech, proposed that the Election Commission (EC) make it compulsory for candidates for a general election to undergo full medical check-up to give them the opportunity to serve for at least one term.

"If a candidate is found to have signs of illness, the EC should reject his candidacy.

"A lot of time and public funds have been wasted on too many by-elections. It should have been spent on infrastructure and other development projects for the people instead," she said.

- Bernama