Kak Wan and the symbolic force of the first female DPM

At the break of dawn on May 10, we will have our first ever female deputy prime minister - Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, or Kak Wan, as she is widely referred to.

When Malaysia is greeted with a woman helming the second-highest public office of the country, there will be an impact that is both symbolic and concrete.

It is undeniable that women around the world still face an invisible barrier called the “glass ceiling” that inhibits them from rising to the top. This is especially so in Malaysian politics. Female politicians are constantly objectified, jeered, and ridiculed in and out of Parliament. It is no wonder that there are only about 10 percent of women in the August House.

When a woman thinks of joining politics to serve the country, one of the most common handicaps is the perception she will receive based on her gender.

But after May 10, things will slowly change for the better with Kak Wan as the symbol of strength and resilience.

Young girls of Malaysia will start their lives with someone they could look up to. Women competing in fields traditionally considered “male”, like politics, science and business, will have the confidence to achieve all they set out to do.

Symbol of strength and resilience

Kak Wan is no stranger to gendered attacks. When she was proposed as the menteri besar of the wealthiest Malaysian state of Selangor, she was told that she is unqualified because the post had always been a male post. Her menstrual cycle, they said, prevents her from doing her job effectively. When such degrading comments were thrown against her, she soldiered on.

But many people still have reservations about Kak Wan. They think that she’s just a puppet to her husband, Anwar Ibrahim. To assess the truth of this, we must look deeper.

We must remember that this is the woman who held the fragile PKR fort for nearly 20 years. She persisted through the most difficult time of 2004 when PKR was left with only one seat in Parliament - her seat. She has won several elections on her own and has held the opposition leader position in Parliament.

Kak Wan was the one responsible for most of the day-to-day running of the party. It is true that Anwar’s words were sought on a few occasions - but only a few. Most of the micro- and macro-decisions were made by Kak Wan. To command the confidence of a political party and to manage the ego of high-profile politicians in PKR is not an easy feat. People do not give Kak Wan enough credit for being a good listener, a fair-minded negotiator, and a level-headed leader.

The recent selection of PKR candidates for GE14 shows that she is the one who has the confidence of the party. She is no pushover - she is her own woman.

We should also remember that she did all of this through the worst emotional agony of seeing her husband unjustly persecuted and unfairly incarcerated. On the good days, the Anwar family was vilified on mainstream media; on the bad days, they were separated by the prison walls.

That’s why I’m convinced that Kak Wan is a symbol of strength and resilience.

Concrete symbolism

The force of this symbolism is that it ushers in concrete changes too. Kak Wan’s ascendency into the DPM position will create a trickle-down effect in society. She would act as a role model for young girls to join politics or strive in the private sector.

Amelia Showalter’s research found that electing women into high public offices has a positive impact in recruiting more women into politics. Jennifer L Lawless and Danny Hayes’ research in “Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era” came to similar conclusions.

This is unsurprising as having a role model who looks like you will greatly motivate you to do better.

Moreover, society will also improve, for laws and policies will no longer be short-sighted. They will be more nuanced and inclusive of the experiences of all people of this country. When half of the population are not excluded from the equation of policymaking, we are set for a more equitable society.

A culture changes

Having Kak Wan as DPM will also normalise society’s view that women are capable of holding high positions and doing their job well.

The rigid boundary between the public and the private will also dissolve.

We live in a society where people still have traditional views of gender roles. Men should be out working as the breadwinners; women should stay at home to care for their families. This is the reality that we are accustomed to, and they are planted at the deepest corners of our brains - the subconscious.

With Kak Wan holding the DPM post, the public-private line will dissolve. At the start, many will still have doubts about Kak Wan being DPM. But as she starts executing her job effectively and responsibly, our society will slowly be freed from biases and prejudices and warm to the idea of a woman being capable of anything she desires.

When Hannah Yeoh became the first female Speaker of the Selangor Legislative Assembly, many had doubts. But through Yeoh’s diligence and dedication, she was arguably the best we’ve ever seen. Now, no one would ever think that a woman is incapable of being an assertive, fair, and impartial speaker. That’s what normalisation means, that’s how cultures change.

When the glass ceiling is shattered, the light could finally shine through.

The right formula, the right time

Our parliamentary system allows Kak Wan to bypass potentially biased public views that typically inflict a presidential candidate. What that means is that we could take the shortcut and skip a few decades ahead into a more progressive society. Kak Wan’s pedigree helps.

Before Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto became the first female prime minister of the Muslim world, her incarcerated father asked her to read about other female leaders like Indira Gandhi and Joan of Arc. The words of Indira Gandhi stayed with her: “To be liberated, a woman must feel free to be herself.”

To our children and grandchildren, we can now tell the story of Kak Wan. A woman who walked through the worst storm and remained unbeaten. A woman who always wears a smile on her face and uses her Chinese fan to confront her enemies. A woman who sees the bigger picture and never gives up.

To unleash our sense of justice and fairness - that is a good reason to vote Harapan.

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JAMES CHAI works at a law firm. His voyage in life is made less lonely with a family of deep love, friends of good humour and teachers of selfless giving. This affirms his conviction in the common goodness of people: the better angels of our nature. He tweets at @JamesJSChai. - Mkini