citizen made her eligible to join. In April 1953, she became a member of UMNO's congress in Melaka. At the congress, her proposal to increase the number of women in the congress was met with anger and disgust by the male delegates. Leadership of Kaum Ibu UMNO In October 1954, Khatijah successfully ran against Ibu Zain and the then Selangor Kaum Ibu UMNO (KI UMNO) chief Halimahton Abdul Majid to be elected leader of KI UMNO. During her time as leader, she travelled throughout the country, managing to win over many women to the section by convincing them she was much like them – Lenore Manderson has contended that Khatijah even shared the bed of village women she visited. Khatijah's frequent demands for an increased representation of women and her belief that there were formal barriers to women's political participation quickly saw her regarded as something as a troublemaker. Two weeks after her election as KI UMNO chief, Khatijah was expelled from the UMNO Johor Bahru branch on the grounds that she had divulged details of Supreme Council proceedings; Khatijah had earlier charged that women were deliberately being excluded from state election lists. The Tunku later determined that there was not enough evidence to expel her, and the UMNO Executive later rescinded her expulsion, but not without warning Khatijah to mind her conduct in the future. After presiding the leadership of KI UMNO at the national level for two years, she was again expelled for challenging the sexual politics of the party. Her dismissal was officially justified on the grounds that she breached party discipline and rules Khatijah succeeded Raja Perempuan Perlis Tengku Badriah (later the 'Queen of Malaya') who took the baton of leadership following the ill health of the latter's predecessor, Hajjah Zain Suleiman or Ibu Zain. Federal Legislative Council controversy In 1955, the Tunku was urged by KI UMNO members to appoint Khatijah to one of five reserve seats in the Federal Legislative Council; only one woman, Halimahton, had been elected from the 52 elective seats. The Tunku refused to appoint Khatijah; he argued that Halimahton's election satisfied the demand for a Malay woman in the Federal Legislative Council, and that furthermore Khatijah's candidacy was not appropriate since she remained the subject of a detention order. KI UMNO members complained that their contributions during the 1955 Federal elections had been overlooked, and in response, women were urged