MARIA Chin Abdullah said she will only contest in the 14th general election if Pakatan Harapan offers her a federal seat. 

The former Bersih 2.0 chairman said she would use a seat in Parliament to push the civil society agenda and as such, preferred a federal seat.

“I would prefer a Parliament seat. It is at the federal level where laws are passed. Nothing less than a parliament seat.

“If (PH) they don’t give a (federal) seat, I will not contest,” she said at a press conference today to announce her exit from the electoral reform group. 

None of the Pakatan Harapan parties, however, has yet to offer her a seat.

“At the moment, not really, there are no seats offered yet. They (PH) are still negotiating. It will take them some time.” 

She said she would contest as an independent on a PH ticket. The opposition pact has four parties – Bersatu, PKR, DAP and Amanah.

Maria said she is contesting under PH as she believes in the coalition’s manifesto and found the Barisan Nasional ruling government oppressive 

“Barisan Nasional are the violators. Looking at the PH manifesto, I agree with them.” 

But, Maria said, the reason she is contesting as an independent is to focus on the new politics of pushing the civil society agenda.

“It is important that my offer to be a candidate under the PH banner is as an independent so as to construct what we would call ‘new politics’. 

“The new politics that my team and I will bring forth will focus on electoral reform,” she said. 

The women’s right activist also said she decided to enter politics only now because the situation is worsening.

“The observation I have over the (current) political situation is (that it is) not good. Let me take this (civil society) agenda to the Parliament and see what I can do.”

Maria took over the Bersih 2.0 chair from Ambiga Sreenevasan in 2013.

For more than three decades, Maria has been a fixture on the Malaysian activism scene, with a focus on women’s movement. 

In 1993, she married fellow activist Yunus Ali, who had been detained without trial under the draconian Internal Security Act in the 1980s.

Maria was arrested under a similar law, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, or Sosma, in November 2016. She was held in solitary confinement for 10 days. – March 6, 2018.