Gerakan Wanita chief Rhina Bhar will officially step down next Friday having decided not to defend the post at the party's upcoming elections.

The one-term Wanita leader sprang a surprise today when she did not file her nomination papers to defend her post at next week's Wanita elections '... for the sake of party unity'.

With Rhina out of the scene, it will be a straight fight between Wanita deputy secretary-general Tan Lian Hoe, 47, and the wing's speaker Surin Leong, 57, for the top post.

"I am not contesting because I want to see unity in the party. I am making the ultimate sacrifice in the interest of party unity," Rhina told reporters after the two-hour nomination period closed at 12 noon.

"Tan and myself are in the same team, If there is a three-cornered fight, the other side will win. So for the sake of party unity, I throw my full support behind Tan," she added.

On Leong's nomination for the Wanita top post, Rhina replied: "She is on her own ... she is not with us".

Backing for Keng Yaik

The lawyer-politician also explained that her decision was to ensure the wing's solid support for party president Dr Lim Keng Yaik and vice-president Dr Koh Tsu Koon to be Lim's new deputy with Lim's decision to step down as president in 2008.

Leong is said to be aligned with party deputy president Kerk Choo Ting. Now out of favour in the party, Kerk is believed to be seriously contemplating mounting a challenge for the presidency.

Rhina took over as Gerakan Wanita chief after she defeated six-term chief Kee Phaik Cheen in the 2002 party polls. She was later made a senator.

Tan, who is also Bukit Gantang MP thanked Rhina for paving the way for her to contest and vowed to continue the projects initiated by the latter if elected new Wanita chief.

Leong, formerly Wanita secretary-general and vice-chairperson, said her contest for the top Wanita post would not split the party.

Said to be aligned with the Kerk group, she merely replied 'I support all good leaders' when asked if she was a Kerk supporter.

The contest for the Wanita deputy chief's post will see a straight fight between Leong Kan Yuet and Yong Dai Ying while 16 candidates are vying for 12 elected central committee posts in the wing. Three vice-chairperson candidates won uncontested today.

Mah, Lim elected

For the youth wing - the nominations of which were held simultaneously with the Wanita wing's - its incumbent chief, Mah Siew Keong, was re-elected unopposed.

The deputy chief's post was won by Lim Si Pin unopposed as incumbent Lee Kah Choon declined to defend the post.

Mah 44, ( photo below, right ) is deputy international trade and industry minister while Si Pin, 36, ( photo below, left ) is the only son of the party president. Seven candidates will fight it out for three elected vice-chairperson posts while 15 others are vying for 12 elected central committee member posts.

Mah told a press conference later that the youth wing will continue to hold consultations with the relevant parties in order to avert a contest in the movement next Friday.

Meanwhile, Si Pin countered charges of nepotism against him saying that nine or 10 states have declared their support for him to go for the Youth's No 2 post as it was vacant.

"But my father told me it is better not to contest because there are 100,000 members in the youth wing and I shouldn't stop other capable members from coming out to contest," he said.

Although he went against his father's advice, Si Pin, a corporate manager, said, "It is just advice. I should not be going against the wishes of the grassroots."

He added, "I have always been a normal person, I am not a parliamentarian, state assemblyperson or councillor, so is it nepotism?"

"I contest because politics is in my blood and I was born into a political family," the two-term Youth central committee member pointed out.