Time for women to rise up
In this new political era, Malaysia should make more history by appointing more women to the Cabinet.
MALAYSIA is changing. We have a new Government after six decades. Our fourth prime minister has returned to become our seventh prime minister – the oldest premier in the world. And we have our first female deputy prime minister.
In the span of two weeks, we have implemented so many changes. We are making history. And I hope we will continue making history by introducing more women in the Cabinet.
Currently, we have three women in Cabinet: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who also holds the Women’s Minister position, Zuraida Kamaruddin as Housing and Local Government Minister, and Rina Harun as Rural Development Minister.
Don’t get me wrong, I am so proud to have these capable women as ministers and I am sure they will do us proud, but having only three women in the 14-member Cabinet is not enough.
Women make up half of Malaysia’s population, and we are just as capable as our male counterparts.
Several studies conducted in Western countries, such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand, have shown that women representatives in parliament have had a positive impact.
Women legislators are more likely to support women’s rights, and sponsor bills that address issues like health, environment, human rights, children and family. These are issues that I feel have been sidelined over the past years.
Several groups in Malaysia have commented on how women issues have often than not been left out, especially when it comes to Muslim family laws. As a result, Muslim women continue to face institutional inequalities in terms of their rights to divorce and maintenance.
Such an observation is not surprising, as we have not seen more than three women appointed as Cabinet Ministers in Malaysia at one time in the past. But I hope that the Pakatan Harapan Government can change this trend.
I would like to remind Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of his promise to eliminate discrimination against women in his speech on the eve of polling day for the 14th General Election. I hope Dr Mahathir keeps his promises and adds more women ministers in the full 25-person Cabinet.
He had previously said that ministers would be chosen based on merit, and I feel that we have so many capable women in Pakatan Harapan who are up to the task.
Among the potential list of candidates is Dr Wan Azizah’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar from PKR, who has a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Masters in International Relations. She is vocal on human rights issues and a strong advocate for freedom of assembly and expression.
DAP’s Hannah Yeoh is another possible choice. She is the vice chairperson of the party’s women’s wing, and has a background in law. She also became the first female speaker and the youngest speaker of any legislative assembly in Malaysia after she was sworn in as Selangor State Assembly speaker in 2013.
Independent candidate and former Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah also has an impressive portfolio. She has a degree in Applied Economics and Masters in Urban Planning, and is outspoken on good governance, electoral reform, human rights and women’s rights.
Kasthurirani Patto from DAP has a degree in Microbiology, and is the publicity secretary of DAP’s women’s wing. She champions human rights, diversity and issues concerning national security.
Pakatan has so many other women candidates who are more than qualified to take on a ministerial position. Their qualifications range from Chemical Engineering to Business Administration. Each one of their skills and experiences can contribute a great deal to the policies they can implement and bills they will pass.
Women are a precious resource, but most of the time they are under-represented in politics. Having female representation in politics is critical in building an inclusive and democratic country. I honestly believe that Malaysia would become a better country with more women in the forefront of politics.
It is time that women make their voices heard at the highest level of decision-making. It is not enough to talk about equality – words need to be put into action.
After all, women make up half of Malaysia’s population, shouldn’t we make up half of the Cabinet too?