Toni Kasim back in election action
Azreen Madzlan Feb 4, 08 5:५३प्म् (Malaysiakini)
She’s back! Zaitun ‘Toni’ Kasim is to contest the next general election on a ‘women’s ticket’, just as she did in 1999 as a rookie in politics।
Toni (photo), as she is popularly known, has worked on a wide range of human rights and gender issues for 15 years, and has strong convictions on equality before the law for women and men।
Her name was put up by the Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI), a group of women activists who had backed her previous outing.
"We are tired of decades of bullying. We are here to bring about change," said Toni, 40, at a press conference on Saturday.
In 1999, Toni contested the Selayang parliamentary seat against Barisan Nasional’s Chan Kong Choy, although she stood under the DAP banner for logistical reasons. She won 43 percent (26,144) of the votes, which slashed the incumbent’s margin from 38,627 in 1995 to 8,835.
WCI campaign manager Maria Chin pointed out that politics belong to all citizens and that it requires the participation of civil society, whether or not they choose to join a political party.
"It is important for us to contest as an independent candidate because many of us think the same way. With bigger support this year, we are pleased to come together once again. " she said.
Maria said it has not been easy to revive the ideal of civil society participation in elections, in view of electoral procedures in relation to independent candidacy.
Some of the barriers include gerrymandering and an increase in the quantum of deposits to be placed by election candidates - for instance, RM10,000 plus RM5,000 in relation to post-election removal of campaign materials to contest in a parliamentary seat.
WCI did not endorse a women’s candidate in the 11th general election in 2004, as it was focusing on women’s rights awareness campaigns and programmes.
For the next general election, WCI has drawn up a 10-point manifesto, a copy of which will be sent to BN and opposition leaders. Its main points are:
Democracy that belongs to all
A society that does not discriminate
The rights to basic freedom and human rights
A transparent, corruption-free government
A safe, violence-free society
Good and affordable standard of living for all
End to privatisation of healthcare and other basic needs
End to unfair and oppressive laws
End to forced evictions from land and homes
Responsible, sustainable and equitable development
Push for women’s agenda
Toni said the WCI was formed with a long-term goal in mind - to reduce, if not eliminate, gender-based discrimination in all fields.
"We need to push the women’s agenda as far as we can, and this can only be achieved by contesting in the elections," she said, explaining her decision to accept candidacy.
Although she has yet to decide which seat to contest, Toni said the government should announce the election dates early so that candidates can make their preparations.
"The (minimum) seven-day campaign period is ridiculous as this will not allow independent candidates (sufficient time) to build their identity among voters," she noted.
She stressed that, as an independent lobby, WCI will not associate itself with any political party "but if the ruling or the opposition parties support our manifesto, we would be more than happy".
Asked to comment on the performance of current women politicians, she said Malaysian women are not seeing enough from those in BN.
She cited instances when action was not initiated against parliamentarians who made sexist remarks, saying that "society will be in trouble if we keep electing people like this".
In addition, she added, there has been little domestic progress in implementing provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, although the government has ratified the treaty in 1995.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Discussion on women's participation in politics : with Shahrizat, Zai , Dr Siti Mariah of PAS and Felicia Ling of MCA..
Discussion on women's participation in politics : with Shahrizat, Zai , Dr Siti Mariah of PAS and Felicia Ling of मचा
http://thestar।com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/13/focus/19973754&sec=focus
Overcoming hurdles in politics
CAFE LATTE CHAT
STATISTICS from the last elections revealed that more women voted than men, and the trend is expected to continue.
In terms of registered voters, both men and women stand at an even 50:50.
But, as Café Latte moderator Datuk Wong Chun Wai pointed out, questions have arisen as to whether women are being accorded the treatment they deserve when it comes to politics.
How is it that we do not see more women MPs, ministers or vice-presidents in political parties? Is this because the women are not given equal opportunity?
Women power: Umno has more professional and economically independent women members.Conservative societies like Pakistan and Bangladesh have had women government heads whereas Malaysia, which prides itself on being liberal, has yet to achieve anything like this.
Parliament had the most number of women MPs in 1999 at 10.4% but by 2004, they made up only 9.6%, well below the international average ratio of 16% women leaders. In the Senate, only 29% are women, while in state legislatures and local authorities, they comprise only 6.9% and 12.5% respectively. Yet, the country is not short of capable women.
This session of Café Latte Chats attempted to answer these questions with viewpoints from guest panellists Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Wanita MCA central committee member Felicia Ling, PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and Sisters In Islam executive director Zainah Anwar.
Roadblocks for women
Wong: Datuk Seri Shahrizat, your take on women in politics at this point in time?
Coffee talk: From left: Sisters In Islam executive director Zainah Anwar; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil; The Star’s group chief editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai; PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud; and Wanita MCA central committee member Felicia Ling in discussion during the Cafe Latte chat held at Menara Star on Tuesday.Shahrizat: I am speaking from a hands-on perspective, having been in politics for 27 years. We need to look at ourselves before we take the men to task. There are 3.2 million registered members in Umno, of which 1.3 million are women. We have to ask why women themselves are not committed.
There are some who feel unworthy, not ambitious enough to assume mainstream posts. Others are happy to progress only in the women’s wing. The women do not have the ambition to fly because they are not being completely sidelined from important decisions.
When calling for elections, it has been traditional for the party president to consult the Wanita chief to ask if we are prepared.
However, things are changing. There are many women qualified for mainstream positions if only they would offer themselves.
I foresee that under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, women will spread their wings. Even at the ministerial level, every issue that I brought to the Cabinet has received good support.
Wong: Dr Siti, would you say the problem is even bigger in PAS? Until the 2004 elections, there were no women contesting for any post.
Dr Siti: There was a gap in candidacy but it’s not a policy, rather more of a preparation. I joined PAS about 10 years ago and I discovered that our women are as committed as those in Umno. However, they are not ready to take up more responsible positions.
I must say Umno has more professional and economically independent women members. In PAS, our priority has always been women’s role as wives and mothers. Many also feel they are not qualified because they place very high standards on themselves. As an Islamic party, the emphasis on religious knowledge is very high. They need ideas and knowledge if they are to assume leadership roles.
Wong: The perception is that PAS is a conservative party that, as you said, demands a certain criterion such as a strong religious knowledge. Is this a stumbling block in the coming elections?
Dr Siti: We have overcome that. The requirements are stringent when it comes to choosing candidates. The demands are too great and they have to have the full support from their children and husband. It’s tough for women, but more of them are becoming active in PAS.
Wong: In Kelantan, the women dominate in the market. They are the ones who manage the business and money for the family. Could they not channel such authoritative capabilities into politics? Why should they be denied political opportunities?
Dr Siti: I must add here that most women are easily content with what they have. As long as they have a good family and enough money, they are happy. I am speaking in general, and not about high achievers. When you enter into politics, there is always sacrifice and risk; their time with their family is compromised. As the Malay proverb goes: “Yang dikejar, tak dapat, yang dikendong, keciciran” (A bird in hand is worth two in the bush). For most women, their family is always number one.
Wong: Does the same ring true for the Chinese community, Ling?
Ling: Wanita MCA started 20 years after the men started it, so when it was our turn to be active in politics, the establishment was already there. Many women at that point of time, the much older generation, were mostly teachers and housewives. Like Umno, they were content to let the men take up the responsibilities.
But things have changed. More than 30% of our party members are women and we are ready for higher decision-making positions. We have educated our women well and they are ready to take up the challenge.
I believe in the coming general election, there will be more opportunities for women candidates and women voters are hoping to see different things. We are glad to see improvement in this area under the leadership of (Datuk Seri) Ong Ka Ting.
Women on top
Wong: Zainah, you are an activist who speaks without fear or favour. Are men comfortable with you for doing so?
Zainah: Of course not. But jokes aside, things are changing. Many fathers see how responsible and wise their daughters are. I’ve met fathers who wanted sons, but had daughters. In the end they found the sons they wanted in their daughters. Many young women nowadays are adventurous and love trying things, such as sports and trekking.
We had a lot of support over the amendment of the Islamic Family Law recently, because fathers realise how capable and financially independent their daughters are and they fear for their daughters’ welfare if they marry irresponsible men. But what we’re talking about here are the barriers that still exist at the cultural and structural levels. It’s going to take time to address these two issues.
We need to take a structural approach. Let me give a simple example of what I mean by that. The Cabinet Committee on Gender Equality has decided on a policy to include 30% of women in decision-making. Why can’t that same policy extend to our system of politics, to Parliament? Why are only 9.6% of MPs women whereas in Rwanda, Africa, 48.8% of women are actively in politics.
Wong: Let’s talk about real politics, how one gets the votes. In America, they talk about the “boardroom cigar-smoking guys” who get the votes and in Malaysia, we hear of politicians who sit and talk politics in coffeehouses till the wee hours. As women, do you have this problem?
Shahrizat: That’s a misconception. At the end of the day, it is one’s track record that gets the votes. But let me come back to Zainah’s proposal for a 30% quota. My ministry has gone to the Cabinet to lobby for a minimum of 30% of capable women in decision-making positions. There is general awareness in the country but it’s harder to adopt this in politics.
Zainah: But why can’t MCA and Umno take the position that 30% of the candidates should be women in the next election?
Shahrizat: You have got me wrong. I meant 30% as a target, not quota. But women themselves must change. Our surveys bear testament to this – why aren’t women seizing the day and going for their dreams?
Zainah: The support system is not there to enable women to make those changes. The men should change for the women. Men should start being the primary caregiver, take over tasks such as caring for the children ... taking them to kindergarten so that the women have the opportunity to excel.
Wong: Women do not want to be measured or discriminated against because of their gender. At the same time, you are asking for a 30% target of women in decision-making positions. Is this not contradictory?
Dr Siti: It is something that we can work towards empowering the women. If we put them on a quota basis instead of a target to be improved upon, the nominated women would be warming up the allocated “chairs”. But I am sure that the new generation will be different, and we should provide a suitable structure for them and to let them know it is possible.
The mindset of women in their 40s or 50s is harder to change. To them, the men are always right. When you work with men, even in PAS, one must understand their psyche. The moment one is seen as confrontational, they do not like it. But if one negotiates her point of view in a rational way, the message would be better conveyed. And one must also not appear emotional because if a woman does that, she is seen as unsuitable to be a wakil rakyat.
Wong: I noticed that both of you – Shahrizat and Ling – have maintained a “politically correct” status in mentioning that (Umno president Datuk Seri) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and (MCA president Datuk Seri) Ong Ka Ting will listen to your proposals. But the question here is that in the coming election, would they seriously listen?
Ling: We can hope for the best. But we are also hoping for more proactive and vocal women. However, there have been instances when a woman candidate loses a seat by a narrow margin and the men would say that if they had contested, they would have won.
Zainah: But the statistics show that women candidates fare better than the men. Their chances of winning, it has been found, are relatively higher. On the issue of “quality candidates”, when the party president chooses a man to stand for elections and to be in a Cabinet position, is quality the most important criterion? No. So why is it that when it comes to women, then they ask: “Do they have the quality?” Look at our members of Parliament. How many of them have the “quality”?
Sexist MPs
Wong: This is rather interesting because even in this day and age, we have men MPs who make sexist remarks. Should these people be there?
Zainah: They should not be there, of course. And the women groups have been “tracking” them for the last 10 years. We have a record of all their statements. If the party leaders were serious about taking action, we would readily supply such information to them.
Wong: Does the fact that these sexist MPs get re-elected show that the people do not really care about such demeanours?
Ling: We have to ask who, exactly, voted these same characters in?
Zainah: Ling, I bet if your party president were to put another man or woman in that same seat, he or she would win.
Wong: This may be a tough question but as deputy Wanita Umno chief, Datuk Seri Sharizat, what are your views on this?
Shahrizat: I think all elected representatives must be responsible. He or she must have integrity, respect and dignity. And I would not tolerate sexist MPs in the same way I would not tolerate racist MPs.
Women leaders
Wong: Why is it then that in Pakistan or Bangladesh there are more women leaders?
Shahrizat: I want to stress that the era of tokenism in politics for women is over. We want a substantial involvement of women in government. The only way forward is to recognise gender equality. A leader who does not possess such thinking is outdated. Women must also have social and political courage to stand up for what they believe in. The motto in my ministry reads: It begins with you. Women must believe that they can lead. But I’ve noticed that no woman has offered herself for the Umno vice-presidency.
Wong: I recall that you offered to contest for the PAS vice-presidency, Dr Siti. Could you share your experience?
Dr Siti: I was nominated actually. But let me state that it took a man to recognise my capabilities before my bahagian followed suit. But my experience was that I did not know the ground, as I was relatively new. But among the leadership, the recognition of women’s role was there.
Zainah: The number of women in the Umno supreme council elections has also dropped.
Shahrizat: Speaking of structure again, we are now calling on political leaders to bring in women in a more systematic way. For instance, they can be appointed to various posts in a certain bahagian and then from there they can advance up the hierarchy.
Long and winding road
Wong: I see the optimism here, but let me ask how long will it be before we see a woman Umno vice-president, for example?
Shahrizat: Let’s see how things fare in the next party elections.
Zainah: I would really like to see all of you lobby your party presidents to adopt the 30% quota system. This would immediately propel your women into leadership positions.
Ling: It would have to start from the bottom.
Zainah: It is going to take forever if it were that way. It should start straight from the top.
Dr Siti: There is also the possibility that the 30% of women you put there may not be whom the electorate wants.
Wong: Many people are turned off by politics because they feel it is dirty and corrupt.
Shahrizat: I beg to differ. You cannot use the same brush on everybody. Even before I became an MP, I had wanted to help create a responsible and good government.
Ling: Women, especially younger ones, do not see politics as a career. They look at it and go, “Oh dear!” Some even have the notion that once a woman enters politics, she will never find a suitor.
Zainah: In that sense, women are talented because they know that they can still succeed without politics.
Wong: Perhaps some closing remarks?
Zainah: Let the women’s wing of the Barisan Nasional and PAS demand a 30% quota for women candidates and even in decision-making positions from their leaders.
Dr Siti: Basically, we want to win more seats. For us, having women MPs is important but it is not our top priority to achieve a 30% target.
Ling: It is one of the reasons why I joined politics. Most of the young Chinese women nowadays are more interested in fashion and TV serials and see politics as taboo. They do not realise how much politics affects them.
Shahrizat: I really hope to see some semblance of the 30% target that we are talking about in the elections. But more important, women must be given the chance to make the choice they want. And they must have the support and structure for it. – Compiled by PAUL CHOO
http://thestar।com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/13/focus/19973754&sec=focus
Overcoming hurdles in politics
CAFE LATTE CHAT
STATISTICS from the last elections revealed that more women voted than men, and the trend is expected to continue.
In terms of registered voters, both men and women stand at an even 50:50.
But, as Café Latte moderator Datuk Wong Chun Wai pointed out, questions have arisen as to whether women are being accorded the treatment they deserve when it comes to politics.
How is it that we do not see more women MPs, ministers or vice-presidents in political parties? Is this because the women are not given equal opportunity?
Women power: Umno has more professional and economically independent women members.Conservative societies like Pakistan and Bangladesh have had women government heads whereas Malaysia, which prides itself on being liberal, has yet to achieve anything like this.
Parliament had the most number of women MPs in 1999 at 10.4% but by 2004, they made up only 9.6%, well below the international average ratio of 16% women leaders. In the Senate, only 29% are women, while in state legislatures and local authorities, they comprise only 6.9% and 12.5% respectively. Yet, the country is not short of capable women.
This session of Café Latte Chats attempted to answer these questions with viewpoints from guest panellists Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Wanita MCA central committee member Felicia Ling, PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and Sisters In Islam executive director Zainah Anwar.
Roadblocks for women
Wong: Datuk Seri Shahrizat, your take on women in politics at this point in time?
Coffee talk: From left: Sisters In Islam executive director Zainah Anwar; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil; The Star’s group chief editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai; PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud; and Wanita MCA central committee member Felicia Ling in discussion during the Cafe Latte chat held at Menara Star on Tuesday.Shahrizat: I am speaking from a hands-on perspective, having been in politics for 27 years. We need to look at ourselves before we take the men to task. There are 3.2 million registered members in Umno, of which 1.3 million are women. We have to ask why women themselves are not committed.
There are some who feel unworthy, not ambitious enough to assume mainstream posts. Others are happy to progress only in the women’s wing. The women do not have the ambition to fly because they are not being completely sidelined from important decisions.
When calling for elections, it has been traditional for the party president to consult the Wanita chief to ask if we are prepared.
However, things are changing. There are many women qualified for mainstream positions if only they would offer themselves.
I foresee that under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, women will spread their wings. Even at the ministerial level, every issue that I brought to the Cabinet has received good support.
Wong: Dr Siti, would you say the problem is even bigger in PAS? Until the 2004 elections, there were no women contesting for any post.
Dr Siti: There was a gap in candidacy but it’s not a policy, rather more of a preparation. I joined PAS about 10 years ago and I discovered that our women are as committed as those in Umno. However, they are not ready to take up more responsible positions.
I must say Umno has more professional and economically independent women members. In PAS, our priority has always been women’s role as wives and mothers. Many also feel they are not qualified because they place very high standards on themselves. As an Islamic party, the emphasis on religious knowledge is very high. They need ideas and knowledge if they are to assume leadership roles.
Wong: The perception is that PAS is a conservative party that, as you said, demands a certain criterion such as a strong religious knowledge. Is this a stumbling block in the coming elections?
Dr Siti: We have overcome that. The requirements are stringent when it comes to choosing candidates. The demands are too great and they have to have the full support from their children and husband. It’s tough for women, but more of them are becoming active in PAS.
Wong: In Kelantan, the women dominate in the market. They are the ones who manage the business and money for the family. Could they not channel such authoritative capabilities into politics? Why should they be denied political opportunities?
Dr Siti: I must add here that most women are easily content with what they have. As long as they have a good family and enough money, they are happy. I am speaking in general, and not about high achievers. When you enter into politics, there is always sacrifice and risk; their time with their family is compromised. As the Malay proverb goes: “Yang dikejar, tak dapat, yang dikendong, keciciran” (A bird in hand is worth two in the bush). For most women, their family is always number one.
Wong: Does the same ring true for the Chinese community, Ling?
Ling: Wanita MCA started 20 years after the men started it, so when it was our turn to be active in politics, the establishment was already there. Many women at that point of time, the much older generation, were mostly teachers and housewives. Like Umno, they were content to let the men take up the responsibilities.
But things have changed. More than 30% of our party members are women and we are ready for higher decision-making positions. We have educated our women well and they are ready to take up the challenge.
I believe in the coming general election, there will be more opportunities for women candidates and women voters are hoping to see different things. We are glad to see improvement in this area under the leadership of (Datuk Seri) Ong Ka Ting.
Women on top
Wong: Zainah, you are an activist who speaks without fear or favour. Are men comfortable with you for doing so?
Zainah: Of course not. But jokes aside, things are changing. Many fathers see how responsible and wise their daughters are. I’ve met fathers who wanted sons, but had daughters. In the end they found the sons they wanted in their daughters. Many young women nowadays are adventurous and love trying things, such as sports and trekking.
We had a lot of support over the amendment of the Islamic Family Law recently, because fathers realise how capable and financially independent their daughters are and they fear for their daughters’ welfare if they marry irresponsible men. But what we’re talking about here are the barriers that still exist at the cultural and structural levels. It’s going to take time to address these two issues.
We need to take a structural approach. Let me give a simple example of what I mean by that. The Cabinet Committee on Gender Equality has decided on a policy to include 30% of women in decision-making. Why can’t that same policy extend to our system of politics, to Parliament? Why are only 9.6% of MPs women whereas in Rwanda, Africa, 48.8% of women are actively in politics.
Wong: Let’s talk about real politics, how one gets the votes. In America, they talk about the “boardroom cigar-smoking guys” who get the votes and in Malaysia, we hear of politicians who sit and talk politics in coffeehouses till the wee hours. As women, do you have this problem?
Shahrizat: That’s a misconception. At the end of the day, it is one’s track record that gets the votes. But let me come back to Zainah’s proposal for a 30% quota. My ministry has gone to the Cabinet to lobby for a minimum of 30% of capable women in decision-making positions. There is general awareness in the country but it’s harder to adopt this in politics.
Zainah: But why can’t MCA and Umno take the position that 30% of the candidates should be women in the next election?
Shahrizat: You have got me wrong. I meant 30% as a target, not quota. But women themselves must change. Our surveys bear testament to this – why aren’t women seizing the day and going for their dreams?
Zainah: The support system is not there to enable women to make those changes. The men should change for the women. Men should start being the primary caregiver, take over tasks such as caring for the children ... taking them to kindergarten so that the women have the opportunity to excel.
Wong: Women do not want to be measured or discriminated against because of their gender. At the same time, you are asking for a 30% target of women in decision-making positions. Is this not contradictory?
Dr Siti: It is something that we can work towards empowering the women. If we put them on a quota basis instead of a target to be improved upon, the nominated women would be warming up the allocated “chairs”. But I am sure that the new generation will be different, and we should provide a suitable structure for them and to let them know it is possible.
The mindset of women in their 40s or 50s is harder to change. To them, the men are always right. When you work with men, even in PAS, one must understand their psyche. The moment one is seen as confrontational, they do not like it. But if one negotiates her point of view in a rational way, the message would be better conveyed. And one must also not appear emotional because if a woman does that, she is seen as unsuitable to be a wakil rakyat.
Wong: I noticed that both of you – Shahrizat and Ling – have maintained a “politically correct” status in mentioning that (Umno president Datuk Seri) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and (MCA president Datuk Seri) Ong Ka Ting will listen to your proposals. But the question here is that in the coming election, would they seriously listen?
Ling: We can hope for the best. But we are also hoping for more proactive and vocal women. However, there have been instances when a woman candidate loses a seat by a narrow margin and the men would say that if they had contested, they would have won.
Zainah: But the statistics show that women candidates fare better than the men. Their chances of winning, it has been found, are relatively higher. On the issue of “quality candidates”, when the party president chooses a man to stand for elections and to be in a Cabinet position, is quality the most important criterion? No. So why is it that when it comes to women, then they ask: “Do they have the quality?” Look at our members of Parliament. How many of them have the “quality”?
Sexist MPs
Wong: This is rather interesting because even in this day and age, we have men MPs who make sexist remarks. Should these people be there?
Zainah: They should not be there, of course. And the women groups have been “tracking” them for the last 10 years. We have a record of all their statements. If the party leaders were serious about taking action, we would readily supply such information to them.
Wong: Does the fact that these sexist MPs get re-elected show that the people do not really care about such demeanours?
Ling: We have to ask who, exactly, voted these same characters in?
Zainah: Ling, I bet if your party president were to put another man or woman in that same seat, he or she would win.
Wong: This may be a tough question but as deputy Wanita Umno chief, Datuk Seri Sharizat, what are your views on this?
Shahrizat: I think all elected representatives must be responsible. He or she must have integrity, respect and dignity. And I would not tolerate sexist MPs in the same way I would not tolerate racist MPs.
Women leaders
Wong: Why is it then that in Pakistan or Bangladesh there are more women leaders?
Shahrizat: I want to stress that the era of tokenism in politics for women is over. We want a substantial involvement of women in government. The only way forward is to recognise gender equality. A leader who does not possess such thinking is outdated. Women must also have social and political courage to stand up for what they believe in. The motto in my ministry reads: It begins with you. Women must believe that they can lead. But I’ve noticed that no woman has offered herself for the Umno vice-presidency.
Wong: I recall that you offered to contest for the PAS vice-presidency, Dr Siti. Could you share your experience?
Dr Siti: I was nominated actually. But let me state that it took a man to recognise my capabilities before my bahagian followed suit. But my experience was that I did not know the ground, as I was relatively new. But among the leadership, the recognition of women’s role was there.
Zainah: The number of women in the Umno supreme council elections has also dropped.
Shahrizat: Speaking of structure again, we are now calling on political leaders to bring in women in a more systematic way. For instance, they can be appointed to various posts in a certain bahagian and then from there they can advance up the hierarchy.
Long and winding road
Wong: I see the optimism here, but let me ask how long will it be before we see a woman Umno vice-president, for example?
Shahrizat: Let’s see how things fare in the next party elections.
Zainah: I would really like to see all of you lobby your party presidents to adopt the 30% quota system. This would immediately propel your women into leadership positions.
Ling: It would have to start from the bottom.
Zainah: It is going to take forever if it were that way. It should start straight from the top.
Dr Siti: There is also the possibility that the 30% of women you put there may not be whom the electorate wants.
Wong: Many people are turned off by politics because they feel it is dirty and corrupt.
Shahrizat: I beg to differ. You cannot use the same brush on everybody. Even before I became an MP, I had wanted to help create a responsible and good government.
Ling: Women, especially younger ones, do not see politics as a career. They look at it and go, “Oh dear!” Some even have the notion that once a woman enters politics, she will never find a suitor.
Zainah: In that sense, women are talented because they know that they can still succeed without politics.
Wong: Perhaps some closing remarks?
Zainah: Let the women’s wing of the Barisan Nasional and PAS demand a 30% quota for women candidates and even in decision-making positions from their leaders.
Dr Siti: Basically, we want to win more seats. For us, having women MPs is important but it is not our top priority to achieve a 30% target.
Ling: It is one of the reasons why I joined politics. Most of the young Chinese women nowadays are more interested in fashion and TV serials and see politics as taboo. They do not realise how much politics affects them.
Shahrizat: I really hope to see some semblance of the 30% target that we are talking about in the elections. But more important, women must be given the chance to make the choice they want. And they must have the support and structure for it. – Compiled by PAUL CHOO
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