‘Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.’ – Maya Angelou, American poet
THE victory of Nurul Izzah for the PKR deputy president’s post last Saturday was not what prompted me to touch on this subject this week.
Nurul is already a household name in politics and it’s only a matter of time before she will take on more prominent roles in Malaysian politics, with or without being PKR deputy president.
However, allow me this one-sentence comment on the Nurul Izzah-Rafizi Ramli contest for the PKR deputy presidency – “It was not a good idea, whichever way you look at it”.
It was the speech of Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg on the role of women in leadership in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend which helped me with the choice of subject.
He was the keynote speaker at the ‘Leading ASEAN Sustainability and Digitalisation Session’ at the ASEAN Women Economic Summit (AWES).
Abang Johari’s key point that the role of women in leadership should be determined by merit and not by gender already makes for an interesting discussion.
The statement reflects a widely held ideal of fairness and equality.
A merit-based system assumes that everyone has equal opportunity to succeed, and this should be the name of the game.
Leadership is awarded based on skills, qualifications and performance, not personal characteristics like gender, race or class. Let no one ever dispute this!
In principle, this approach is fair and desirable. Leadership positions should go to the most capable individuals – male or female.
Abang Johari’s first point scores high on everyone’s list. Women must be judged on their skills and capabilities, in particular their strength in carrying out responsibilities entrusted to them.
Men with female colleagues give very high marks for that aptitude because it reflects not only competence but also deep-rooted values such as dedication, resilience and integrity.
I, for one, treasure women colleagues who are strong in shouldering responsibilities and would not mind going the extra mile at work.
I find that female workers are better than men in some areas at times. They often demonstrate a high degree of reliability – once given a task, they are committed to seeing it through with thoroughness and care.
They tend to be detail-oriented and conscientious, ensuring tasks are not just completed, but done well.
In turn, this creates a sense of trust – whether in politics, business, education, or the home, people are confident that responsibilities placed in women’s hands will be fulfilled.
Moving on, the Sarawak Premier also noted that in Asia’s culture, it may take some time for women to hold leadership roles.
Citing strong female leadership in Asia, he said Indira Gandhi in India and Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan proved that acceptance and change are possible.
“Why not the rest of ASEAN?” Abang Johari asked.
Well, we now have a woman prime minister in Thailand – Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The 38-year-old has been in office for almost a year and so far, there were positive reviews on her premiership.
Previously in ASEAN, we had two female presidents of the Philippines – Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In Myanmar, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was also a prominent political figure.
In Malaysian politics, women’s participation remains relatively low as less than 15 percent of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat are women.
Women’s roles often remain confined to the traditional “soft portfolios” such as welfare, women’s affairs or youth and social development rather than core ministries like finance, defence or home affairs.
Increasing women in politics is not just about equality, but also about bringing diverse perspectives to legislation, especially on issues like education, healthcare, gender violence and family policies.
Abang Johari also highlighted developments at home, saying that Sarawak has already appointed women to key positions within the state administration.
“Our Deputy State Financial Secretary is a woman, our Auditor-General is a woman, and even some of our community leaders are women,” he said.
I’m sure Sarawak women are also proud that there are female ministers from our homeland at both state and federal levels although the numbers could have increased over the years.
For Malaysia to be seen as a modern, inclusive and globally competitive nation, diverse and representative leadership is essential.
Appointing more women to top roles – like in the judiciary, diplomacy, or international organisations – enhances Malaysia’s credibility on the world stage.
Achieving gender-balanced leadership is not merely a women’s issue – it’s a national imperative for Malaysia’s democratic maturity, economic resilience and social harmony.
In conclusion, let me say that I think it’s time we have a woman prime minister. Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail was deputy prime minister from 2018-2020.
There’s no reason why Azizah or any other woman cannot become Malaysia’s prime minister shortly.
Why, from 2018 to 2023, from Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, we have a total of five prime ministers in five years.
If only there were a woman PM then, Malaysia would probably have seen better days and Malaysians experienced more prosperous times than we have now.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
