PRESS STATEMENT BY YB CHONG ENG
STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT & RELIGIONS OTHER THAN ISLAM ON 2 OCTOBER 2021
LOOK INTO ISSUES AFFECTING WOMEN AS PRIME MINISTER’S ADVISOR, AZALINA URGED
I wish to congratulate Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the Pengerang MP, who has been appointed as Prime Minister’s law and human rights advisor.
The appointment of a woman member of parliament to be the advisor for Prime Minister on law and human rights matters augur well for women.
It’s another appointment for woman to take up a challenging role since the percentage of women’s participation in the Cabinet is less than 15% now.
As a former minister in charged of law, a former deputy speaker and a lawyer by training, Azalina is more than qualified to be an advisor in the law and human rights matters.
I am looking forward to see more women issues given attention.
Azalina should be looking into the tabling of anti-sexual harassment bill in Dewan Rakyat by the end of this year without further delay.
Malaysia is without sexual harassment law and the number of complaints lodged against sexual harassment at workplace, home and school has been rising over the years.
The proposed act will help to curb the sexual abuse, take action against the perpetrators and provide some form of protection for women as research showed that sexual victims suffer in silence.
Another issue is the appeal against the high court decision on removing a hidden discrimination against Malaysian mothers on denying their children to be given citizenship automatically on their children born overseas to foreign spouses like the Malaysian fathers.
Azalina also debated on citizenship in the Dewan Rakyat recently, questioning the government’s move to appeal against the landmark court decision which places Malaysian women on an equal status with Malaysian men, who have been enjoying the right for decades.
She would be in the best position to advise the Prime Minister to withdraw the appeal in the interest of gender equality and inclusiveness for Keluarga Malaysia, a concept mooted by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.