Wanita MCA urges Pakatan Harapan government to fulfil promise of appointing 30% female Ministers

Wanita MCA stands in support of the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) in urging the Pakatan Harapan federal and state governments fulfil their promises of ensuring at least 30% female representation in the Cabinet as well as participation in decision-making. 

In pg 140 of the English version of the Buku Harapan, under Commitment 5: Democratise the political system to create more female leaders, there is a pledge of “Ensuring that at least 30 percent of policy makers are women.”   

However, it is disappointing that in the first round of Cabinet Ministers announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, only 3 or 12% are women. They are: Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah who is also the Minister of Women and Family Development, Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin and Rural Development Minister Rina Mohd Harun.

As the Prime Minister has  yet to publish a complete list of Cabinet Ministers, Wanita MCA urges the premier as well as the PH government to appoint more female Ministers in the next round of announcements, to enable more women to participate in the decision making process to propel national development.

As the Prime Minister has informed there will be 25 Ministers in the full Cabinet, in other words, if the PH government  wants to fulfil its promise of achieving at least 30% female decision makers, it should have at least 7 to 8 female Ministers.  

Wanita MCA calls upon the new federal to honour this commitment, protect and enhance the political status of women, and ultimately achieve the mission of gender equality.

Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Wanita MCA Chairman

-MCA online-