Sultan’s decree may send wrong signals about women in office, say groups

Womens’ groups believe that the Selangor Sultan’s decree that the opposition submit more than three names for the menteri besar post may send the wrong signals about women holding public office. – The Malaysian Insider pic, August 31, 2014.

The Selangor Sultan's decree that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) submit more than three names for the Selangor menteri besar (MB) post may send the wrong signals about women holding public office, civil society groups said today.

"In the context of an acute shortfall of women in decision-making positions nationwide, it reinforces public perception that any woman's aspiration for public office is completely out of the ordinary despite the fact that the state constitution itself is gender-neutral," said ‎Empower in a statement endorsed by All Women's Action Society (Awam), Perak Women for Women (PWW) and Sisters in Islam (SIS).

They said that Kajang assemblywoman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail already commanded the majority support of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, which should be enough for her to take up the top post in Selangor.

But, the sultan on Tuesday had decreed on Tuesday that each party within PR submit more than two names for the position to the palace‎ by September 3.

"Women who choose to enter politics often face sexist double standards and are held accountable to higher standards. They frequently face demands to prove themselves over and above the norm," said the groups today.

"On the other hand, male counterparts with similar levels of experience go unquestioned and their qualifications are assumed."

On Tuesday, a PAS source told The Malaysian Insider that party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang objected to Dr Wan Azizah becoming menteri besar on the grounds of religion and qualification‎, referring to a previous argument that as a woman, she could not rule.‎

The Islamist party is insisting that it will submit more than one name to the sultan, going against the PR Presidential Council decision to nominate only Dr Wan Azizah.

This prompted de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Dr Anwar Ibrahim to ask PAS on Thursday whether they were unprepared to accept a woman leader.‎

Last month, an Umno lawyer had said Dr Wan Azizah could not become menteri besar because she suffers "uzur syarie" (menses) which would prevent her from accompanying the sultan at religious functions.

Lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the MB has always been male for this reason despite there being no specific clause excluding a woman from holding the post, the New Straits Times reported him as saying.

‎But the four NGOs pointed out today that Dr Wan Azizah alone had the support of 30 of the 56 state assemblymen, and expressed disappointment that a woman candidate who commands majority support was not yet MB.

"‎Therefore, should a candidate who does not enjoy majority support be appointed as MB, where does this leave the State Assembly?" said the groups.

"Indeed, this would undermine the democratic processes underpinning the State Assembly and the governance of Selangor."‎‎

The groups added they were disturbed by the rise in the use of the Sedition Act to silence criticism, which they said correlated with the trend in authorities overstepping their limits over the past few years.

"In 2012, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak promised that the Sedition Act will be repealed. However, Suaram’s statistics show that the number of investigations and charges under the Sedition Act actually rose dramatically in 2013: 15 cases compared to 7 in 2012."

The Sedition Act, described as Putrajaya's attempt at silencing its political foes, has seen Pakatan leaders being charged with sedition over the last few days.

They are: PKR vice-presidents Rafizi Ramli and N. Surendran, Shah Alam MP and PAS central committee member Khalid Samad, and DAP Seri Delima assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer.

DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and PKR Batu MP Tian Chua are also facing trial for sedition, while former Perak MP and Changkat Jering assemblyman Nizar Jamaluddin was charged with criminal defamation for a statement he had allegedly made two years ago.

"At a time when public authorities, governments, and political parties are breaking principles of good governance, we seem to be more powerless than ever at ensuring that they be held accountable for their actions.

"This stifling of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of information has had terrible consequences on our ability as a society to engage with differences constructively and make informed choices in our lives."

- TMI