A woman vice-president in PAS should not be confined to handling women-related issues, said Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, who is tipped to become the first woman to hold one of the three such posts in the party.

She said that a vice-president would have to assume responsibility for tackling all issues that concern the party and its administration.

"The post is at the central level. I don't think you should think of gender - if a woman is chosen by delegates, it would not be due to gender but capability," she said when contacted.

"So she should be able to handle all issues that she comes across. Similarly, I would expect a male vice-president to be able to speak on women-related issues."

Siti Mariah reportedly stands a good chance of winning the post, following the open backing of the party's much respected mursyidul am (spiritual adviser) Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who gave his views while chairing a PAS Kelantan liaison meeting last Saturday.

Nik Abdul Aziz was quoted in press reports as saying that the Muslimat (women's wing) should play a bigger role in the party's leadership. He proposed that Siti Mariah - a central working committee member since 2003 and Muslimat information chief- should be nominated to run for the post.

His advice would serve as guidance for seven divisions (out of 14) in Kelantan that have yet to submit any nominations. A candidate only needs a minimum of two nominations to contest the party election scheduled for June. Siti Mariah got her first nomination yesterday from Tebrau division in Johor.

Long way to go

The move was mooted by leaders who believe that the move (to elect a woman vice-president) would help improve the party's appeal among women voters, especially those who had shunned PAS in the last general election.

If Nik Abdul Aziz's view is accepted, Siti Mariah will be part of the 11-member Dewan Harian - dubbed 'the inner circle'. It currently has only one woman member - Kalthom Othman, the Muslimat chief.

To date, PAS central committee member Husam Musa heads the list of nominees for vice-president, with 10 nominations. Others are secretary general Nasharuddin Mat Isa (six), incumbent Mustafa Ali (three), incumbent Dr Hassan Ali (three ) and Mohamad Sabu (two).

Commenting on Nik Abdul Aziz's statement, Siti Mariah said the leader's support was recognition for all women members.

"Of course this does not mean that I will get the post. It is still up to the divisions whether they want to nominate me. Even if they do, I still have to get the delegates' votes," she said.

"It's too early to say anything right now. Whatever it is - vice-president or not - I'll continue to work as hard as I can for the party."

A PAS politician from Selangor expressed the hope that Siti Mariah would make best possible use of her mandate, should she get one.

"Some see this as a token gesture. There are party officers who want the prestige, but do not want to do the work. I hope Siti Mariah will resist being part of such a culture," he said.

More effective

However, a party worker from Kuala Lumpur said he believes that the vice-president's post would only enhance Siti Mariah's effectiveness.

"She is already doing a lot of good, If elected as VP, I am confident that she will improve. There are a lot of issues that affect women in general. These may not be appropriate for the Muslimat head to handle, as her role is to represent members' interests," he noted.

"So, if we have a clear-headed leader like Siti Mariah with a good grasp of issues at the federal level, we would be more comfortable and confident about the party's interaction with others.

"If we are to have dialogues with groups like Sisters in Islam, for example, we know that someone like Siti Mariah would be able to get the message across. Whether they accept her criticism or not is not the point."