Ginie Lim of Melaka said party leaders should not overlook division leaders when considering candidates to represent the party.

“The top leadership must be fair. Having academic qualifications shouldn’t automatically qualify someone as a candidate,” she said when debating the president’s policy speech at the PKR congress at Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.

Lim said that despite having the necessary academic qualifications, some elected representatives struggle with knowing how to assist their communities.

She said the party leaders could propose for the general assembly’s approval that candidates with requisite academic qualifications must be selected from among the division leaders or have the support of the divisions.

If the division leaders are sidelined, then “ultimately, the people’s problems cannot be resolved”, she said.

“We understand that the top leadership needs to consider many aspects in making decisions (on party candidates),” she said.

Lim sparked controversy in October last year by insisting on contesting the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat in the 15th general election even though she was not nominated.

Her actions were criticised by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who said the seat had never belonged to the party.

Adly Zahari of Amanah won the seat with a 890-vote majority against Barisan Nasional’s Shahril Hamdan, Perikatan Nasional’s Redzuan Yusof and Pejuang’s Nazriq Abdul Rahman.