— JAG
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 02, 2012
OCT 2 — The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) is appalled and extremely disappointed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s callous dismissal of the need for women’s rights groups in Malaysia on the premise that equality was given “from the start”.
The prime minister is remiss to use women’s suffrage as a sole indicator for equality. Despite women having fought equally for independence and gaining the vote, Malaysia’s first female Minister, Tun Tan Sri Fatimah Hashim, was only appointed in 1969, a full 12 years after independence. Today, as in 1969, Malaysia only has one female minister in Cabinet, far short of the 30 per cent indication required by CEDAW.
While the right to vote is an important indicator of the state’s recognition of women’s rights, equality is also measured in other substantive ways.
If Malaysian women were on equal footing as their male counterparts, one telling sign would be a high ranking on the Global Gender Gap Index, which captures the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities in four key areas of basic rights — economic, political, education and health. As it stands, Malaysia’s ranking has dropped from its overall ranking of 72 in 2006 to 97 among 134 countries in 2011. Our country joins the bottom quarter, made up largely of developing countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Laws and policies in this country currently too do not reflect women’s equal access to justice. If women were truly beneficiaries of equality since 1957, how is it that women’s rights groups had to fight for the Domestic Violence Act in 1994, and gender as a category for non-discrimination was only included in the Federal Constitution in 2001. To this day, a Malaysian mother has no legal right to confer citizenship to her child in the event that the child is born overseas. A Sexual Harassment Bill has yet to be tabled, and Muslim women continue to be sidelined in the continuous regressive amendments made to the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 and the corresponding Islamic Family Law Enactment of the States in Malaysia.
Such a statement by the prime minister, who is also the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, belies and belittles the reality women face on a daily basis — the violence, harassment and discrimination — which Government policies have not adequately addressed. The recently released CEDAW alternative report comprehensively documents all forms of discrimination that women in Malaysia continue to face today. For those of us who have to deal with the problems women face on the ground, the Prime Minister’s claim does not inspire any confidence in his leadership of the country and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
We urge the prime minister to take his role as the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development seriously and propose substantive measures with corresponding budgetary considerations in accordance with CEDAW principles to ensure that Malaysia is on the march towards equality.
* Press statement released by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), which comprises: Sisters in Islam (SIS); Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO); Perak Women for Women Society (PWW); Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (SAWO); All Women’s Action Society (AWAM); Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER); and Women’s Centre for Change (WCC).
Doesn’t Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak understand the terms “checks and balances”? Even if gender equality was given “from the start”, shouldn’t there be checks and balances? Even if BN can administer the country well, shouldn’t there be an opposition party to do the job of checks and balances?
Najib is technically correct that ”equality was given “from the start” ‘. Technically speaking.
He should rename the ministry to ‘Ministry of Men, Women, LBGT, Spiritual, Animal, Plant and Environment Ministry’ to cover everything and be generally politically, socially, morally, spiritually correct, correct, correct.
Najib has said that his BN government follows Islamic principles very closely. This might in a way explain his statements about women’s rights.
The fact that Najib is holding the Ministry meant for a woman when Shahrizat resigned tells you how much Najib respect women.
He cannot get another woman from Wanita Umno to take over or is it get cannot get one more like Shahrizat to support his corruption program.
A Malaysian mother no legal right to confer citizenship to her child in the event that the child is born overseas? What about milestones gains? Examples- The Law Reform Marriage and Divorce Act 1976 implemented in 1980s institutionalised monogamy in respect of non-Muslims, Domestic Violence Act passed in 1994, in 1999 by an amendment to Guardianship of Infants Act, women are conferred equal guardianship rights as men; in 2001, an amendment of Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. Women now hold 25.7% of the total seats in the upper parliamentary house (according to Nurul Izzah, one of these). Those who complain about NFC’s getting soft loan always blame the woman behind it whose predecessor took on, traded barbs, and US’s Magdalene Albright! Our SC chairman (until recently who?) What About Central Bank governor? There’s no discrimination against women in education is there? If you say our govt is corrupt then can you expect by same breath many women to fight and try to be in govt? You complain about glass ceiling but is it from ordinary Malaysian men’s attitude or govt’s position? You blame “Sexual Harassment Bill has yet to be tabled, and Muslim women continue to be sidelined in the continuous regressive amendments made to the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 and the corresponding Islamic Family Law Enactment of the States in Malaysia” – but that’s because of (i) the advanced Islamisation process here and (ii) literal prescriptions of the Sacred Religious texts. Problem is equality as envisaged by JAG is not the same as average Malaysian Muslim women or Dr Rohaya Mohamad of Obedient Wives Club fame. The bigger problem when you fight for women’s right from ala western prism, you’re making women followers judge an administration based on its gender equality record rather than its record of governance. When an administration is corrupt or abuses power women should vote against it even if it has comparatively good women equality record. Gender issues are important but not more important than governance issues which affect the future of the offspring of women. Stay focused.
When they want a team of rouges and thieves…very difficult to get women politicians to co-operate.
Shahrizat is a rare specie.
Umno B and Najib will always depend on men to do their dirty jobs.
Look at PR…fearless and clean and how many women are elected in…and you can bet PR will have the right people for all ministerial posts..be it a woman or a man.
Rafidah was proven very corrupt.
Voted out…came Shahrizat..her style…her way how to steal millions…exposed.
Resigned…Najib cannot find one umno B woman to replace her.
It’s all about team work how to steal and never never admit it.