30% quota for women in Cabinet in due time

DATUK Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( pix) says the proposal to have women making up 30% of the Cabinet is a target but there is no insistence that the quota must be implemented, as capability is also a very important factor to consider in the choice of ministers.

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily published yesterday, Malaysia’s first female deputy prime minister said she is all for the proposal, adding that women should be included at all decision-making levels in the government.

All laws and policies should also be gender-sensitive, she added.

Asked if the new Cabinet will be made up of 30% women, Wan Azizah said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is still considering candidates for the rest of his line-up, will take the proposal into consideration.

“Mahathir said (we have to) give him some time. After all, this is the first time that there is a change in the federal government in 61 years although he had been the prime minister before.”

She pointed out that under the current situation, the priority is to choose capable people who can do the job well although gender is one of the many criteria.

She said apart from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry which has more female officials, other ministries also have women who hold sway.

Action Group for Gender Equality has recently called on the Pakatan Harapan government to fulfil its election promise of a minimum 30% representation of women at the highest policy-making body.

On the previous government’s declaration that to empower women it would ensure 30% of women on the boards of government-linked companies, government-linked investment companies and statutory bodies, Wan Azizah said that will be the government’s target but not yet a “fixed quota” for now.