Rafidah’s plan highly unusual and unhealthy, says Napsiah

KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Umno never had a history of an acting Wanita chief heading the movement for almost a full term, said its permanent chairman Tan Sri Napsiah Omar.
She described Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s transition plan to hand over the Wanita chief post to her deputy in June, three months after the March party election, and for the deputy to take over in an acting chief capacity as “highly unusual”.
“I don’t think this is a healthy development. Wouldn’t it be better for Rafidah to stand up, be magnanimous and make the great sacrifice? After all, she has groomed (Datuk Seri) Shahrizat (Abdul Jalil) to take over,” she said when contacted.
While Napsiah noted that Rafidah had desired a no-contest in Wanita UMNO because she wanted to hand over a united Wanita to her deputy, she also felt that this issue was now dividing the women and causing a split among Rafidah and Shahrizat’s supporters.
Under Rafidah’s proposed transition plan, the Wanita chief and deputy post were not to be contested.
It would result in Rafidah defending her seat while Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil will keep her deputy post until June when she takes over the movement’s top post.
Napsiah, a former deputy Wanita chief, pointed out that under the party’s constitution, there was no such thing as negotiation or agreement.
“In this case, the exco member (Datuk) Kamilia (Ibrahim) has purposely not attended the two exco meetings as she did not want to be part of the agreement – which means there is already dissension.
“She’ll act as she wishes, which means she’ll contest against Shahrizat for the deputy post,” she said.
Napsiah noted that the groundswell for Kamilia for the number two spot was growing.
“If Rafidah sticks to her Wanita chief post, where will that leave Shahrizat?” she asked,
In the recently concluded division meetings, both Rafidah and Shahrizat received more than enough nominations to contest the Wanita chief post.
Shahrizat is also eligible to contest for the deputy post, as is Kamilia.

tunku : if rafidah still wants to stick to her plan than let kamilia contest the number two post against shahrizat, i am sure shahrizat will take rafidah on and if shahrizat wins the chief post than where is rafidah going to hide her face.we hope rafidah think it over rationally, after all everyone is saying the same thing, it is just 3 months rafidah,why are you so stubborn?