MELAKA: PKR Women's wing must play its role to become a unifying force for the party.
Its chief Haniza Mohamed Talha said this was important for the movement to face the challenges that came in the way of the party, while helping to steer PKR forward.
"The women's wing must play its role to unite the rank-and-file of this party, and we must step forward to develop our country together.
"Whatever obstacle or challenge that comes our way are merely temporary distractions. Focus on our goal to uphold the party's struggle," she said in a welcoming speech at the joint opening of the PKR women and youth wings annual congress here last night.
The Selangor state executive council member and Lembah Jaya assemblyman said that the latest development that occurred in PKR, in which some party insiders described as a delicate truce between the top two leaders, was a good sign.
"I am very grateful for what has occurred in the past 24 hours as what occurred reflects the magnanimity of PKR leaders to put aside their differences.
"This is (a sign of) our party's unity, and it came from the top (leaders)."
The apparent rift between party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has been a prolonged affair.
Azmin had been absent from all PKR meetings for the past year, but made a comeback at a political bureau meeting at Parliament Wednesday.
That was the first meeting he attended after being elected as the party’s No. 2 in September last year.
Wednesday's meeting had also reinstated Azmin's traditional role to jointly open the women and youth wings' congresses, in his capacity deputy president, which the party had previously decided upon amidst the rift between the two top PKR leaders.
Haniza said it was important for PKR members to remember the contributions of long-serving party leaders who have upheld the struggles of the party since its inception 20 years ago.
"There have been many leaders who have been members since the start of our party."
Haniza also said that the women's roles were vital in PKR considering that the members of the wing accounted for about half of the entire party membership.
She said in its effort to continue the wing's work, it has recently launched its new logo.