Wanita PKR has expressed confidence in the new party to be led by former Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, despite admitting it could pose an additional challenge for Pakatan Harapan parties.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamarudin said she welcomed the new party as it has its own target members.

"It has its own niche to take care of - (mostly) Umno members who are not comfortable joining a multi-racial party," Zuraida told a press conference today, after launching the Wanita PKR Selangor and Federal Territories annual division meetings at a hotel in Subang Jaya.

Asked whether her endorsement contradicted PKR's stand against race-based parties, Zuraida said: "That is their choice (to set-up and support a Malay/bumiputera party). What is most important, they want to cooperate with us on a common agenda - to take down BN."

Muhyiddin had on Thursday confirmed that he would be setting up a new political party, together with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir, as well as four others, as its pro-tem committee members.

Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin later confirmed that the new party would be a Malay/bumiputera-based party and it would cooperate inclusively with political parties against BN.

'Seat negotiations more complicated'

Ahead of the next 14th general elections, Zuraida admitted that the new party could make things more complicated when it came to seat negotiations among Pakatan Harapan parties.

At the same time, she expressed confidence that all leaders would have the political maturity to reach a consensus based on their common goal to bring down BN under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"I have to be optimistic. If I am pessimistic I wouldn't be here.

"If we are pessimistic, we cannot motivate our leaders to work hard," said Zuraida when pressed to comment on difficulties faced by Pakatan Harapan parties to reach a consensus during the recent Sarawak state elections as well as the twin by-elections.

'Vote for Selangor women empowerment'

Earlier, Selangor PKR Wanita chief Hanizah Talha in her speech, said a proposal has been made for the state government to introduce a provident fund for all housewives in the state, under the upcoming Budget 2017.

Similar to the existing Employees Provident Fund, Hanizah said the fund would provide an additional financial security for housewives who are not paid, but worked 24 hours every day of the year.

This, she said, is on top of a proposal to set up a dedicated Women Empowerment think-tank to draft and coordinate implementation of relevant policies.