Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said today she will defend the Wanita Umno chief’s post in the party’s elections in March.

Rafidah, 65, said she appreciated and respected the nominations she received from 117 divisions.

“I leave it to the delegates, who represent the grassroots, to determine their preferred leader for the 2009-2011 period,” she said in an 11-page statement today.

Yesterday, Wanita Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who received 73 nominations, announced that she would contest for the movement’s top post.

The decision has effectively scuttled the movement’s leadership transition plan in June 2009 as announced by Rafidah in August.
In the statement, Rafidah also expressed disappointment that the transition plan was being disputed and rejected three months after she made the announcement.

“Ever since I made the announcement, none among the executive council members, or those outside, has questioned it.

“In fact, Datuk Seri Shahrizat herself, either during four-eye meetings, in executive council (meetings), and in news conferences, has repeatedly affirmed that she will not contest the post even if she is nominated, that she will abide by the transition plan, that she will abide by the advice of top party leaders.

“In fact, she said, she would keep her words, that “my word is my honour’. All these have been reported in the media,” she said.

Rafidah also said that she had no reason to believe that there would be turmoil after the completion of the nomination process.

As responsible leaders, she said, those involved should have raised their objections to the plan at the movement’s meetings.

Had the matter been brought up before the nomination process started, the Wanita Umno executive council would have scrapped the transition plan, said Rafidah.

“And there would be no hesitation on my part to allow the divisions to nominate whomever they want for the posts of Wanita chief and vice-chief,” she said.

The objection, however, only came to light after sufficient nominations were obtained for the posts, she said.

“Only then they come out with all kinds of excuses to object the plan,” she said.

On the calls that the transition plan be brought forward from June to March, Rafidah said, it was illogical to do so as this would mean that the transition period, or the period between the March annual general assembly and the date for the leadership handover, would no longer exist.

“All of us know that originally, the transition plan timeframe is between January and June based on the annual general assembly taking place in December.

“However, the annual general assembly has been rescheduled to March but this does not affect the transition plan,” she said.

Rafidah also said that bringing forward the transition plan to March would mean handing over the post “lock, stock and barrel” to Shahrizat, who would win the contest unopposed.

“This is tantamount to denying the rights and wishes of the 117 divisions which have nominated me to hold the post until June 2009,” she said.

Rafidah has helmed Wanita Umno since 1984, except for a term following her defeat to Datuk Seri Dr Siti Zaharah Sulaiman.

Rafidah, who won back the post from Dr Siti Zaharah in the 2000 party elections, announced the transition plan in August.

The movement’s executive council, at its meeting last week, reaffirmed its support to the plan and rejected Shahrizat’s call made a day earlier that the plan be coordinated with the leadership transition in Umno.

“Now that the transition plan has been not been followed and the post will be contested, I will defend my post,” she said.

Rafidah also call on those contesting for posts in the movement to ensure that the contest would take place in an orderly, sincere and dignified manner without undermining anyone.

“Let’s not spread lies or cause a split,” she said.