Women standing up for better Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday acknowledged the role of women in the development of a country and society, noting that their position now is no longer just being behind the success of a man.

Instead, he said women now stood side-byside with men at the forefront and together took on the challenges of making Malaysia a better place.

"We often hear the saying that behind every successful man, there is a woman. I believe this has changed.

"In fact, women play a very important role in the well-being of family and national development. In recognising this, the Government has announced that 2018 is the Women Empowerment Year,” he said in his blog (www.najibrazak. com), in conjunction with International Women's Day, yesterday.

In recognising their significant role, Najib pointed that the government had among others announced the requirement of at least 30 per cent participation of women in the board of directors of government-linked companies (GLC) and government-linked investment companies (GLIC) as well as statutory bodies by the end of 2018.

Meanwhile, to appreciate their contribution to the workforce, the government has increased the maternity leave for the private sector from 60 days to 90 days, the prime minister said.

“This is not just mere tagline or gimmick, we have embedded the empowerment of women in Government policies.

“We all have our parts to play. Let's #PressForProgress. Happy International Women's Day!,” Najib added. - Bernama