to stand in town and municipal elections and work their way up. The male leadership would also claim that they could not find capable women to run as candidates. Dismissal from UMNO Khatijah demanded the women's vote within UMNO's National Assembly in 1953 and equal political representation within the party. Moreover, she fought for the autonomy of UMNO's women's section, a separate women youth's section to complement the existing UMNO Youth section, and the increased nomination of women to contest the general elections via the pre-selection of female candidates. But soon she was dismissed from the party in November 1956, and this time the UMNO Executive upheld her expulsion. Although Khatijah was expelled from UMNO for disciplinary reasons, it was more likely because she was challenging the patriarchal tradition and hegemony within the parent party; indeed, one of the reasons cited for her expulsion was that her conduct as KI UMNO chief was 'detrimental to UMNO.' The UMNO Executive then appointed Fatimah binte Haji Hashim as the new leader of KI UMNO, a role she held until 1972. Khatijah Sidek in PAS Following her expulsion from UMNO for challenging the party's male-dominated hegemony, Khatijah defected to the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party or PAS, becoming the leader of its women's section, the Dewan Muslimat. She rejoined UMNO in 1972, but did not go on to play a major role in the party. See also Aishah Ghani Shamsiah Fakeh Early Malay nationalism Malaysian politics References Further reading Memoir Khatijah Sidek: Puteri Kesatria Bangsa (1995), Penerbit UKM: Bangi Susan Blackburn and Helen Ting (editors) Women in Southeast Asian Nationalist Movements (2013) NUS Press: Singapore 1918 births 1982 deaths People from Pariaman Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Minangkabau descent Women members of the Dewan Rakyat Members of the Dewan Rakyat Women in Terengganu politics United Malays National Organisation politicians Malaysian Islamic Party politicians Malaysian women's rights activists 20th-century Malaysian women politicians 20th-century Malaysian politicians Naturalised citizens of Malaysia Indonesian emigrants to Malaysia