Kho: PH pledge of 30% women in its administration still short

suppadmin | July 6, 2018

Following the appointment of additional members of cabinet on 2^nd July 2018, the new Malaysia cabinet now has 5 women full ministers and 4 women deputy ministers. The 17% women representation falls short of Pakatan Harapan’s pledge of minimum 30% women in its administration.

In respond to the new cabinet line-up, SUPP Central Women Section Chairman Kho Teck Wan stressed that there are 21 elected Pakatan Harapan female MPs, which is more than enough to make up for the 30% women representation.

She is delighted to see YB. Yeo Bee Yin being appointed as Minister of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment. She is well qualified and will bring new ideas and initiatives to the sciences and technology sectors in Malaysia. Like the late Tok Nan who banned the issuance of new logging license in Sarawak, it is time our policy makers take more proactive approach in environmental conservation. Yeo’s appointment will inspire more women to pursue both politics and sciences .as their fields of specialisation.

Kho Congratulated YB. Baru Bian and YB. Chong Chieng Jen for their appointments as Minister of Works and Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. However, we should question the Pakatan Harapan government on the number of Sarawak representation as it is only 4% of the total number of cabinet members, even though Sarawak is represented by 13 members of parliament from Pakatan Harapan.

Although the ministerial posts are not important, as one of the three founding members of Malaysia, the number of Sarawak representatives in the current cabinet is disappointing. Sarawak has all the rights to be represented fairly. It shows the position of Sarawak in the Pakatan Harapan government.

She would like to remind the Sarawak Pakatan Harapan YBs of their promises to return the 50% tax collected to Sarawak, to increase the payment of oil royalty to 20%, and to return the autonomies for healthcare and education. As local party, SUPP will support the fight for Sarawak’s autonomy irrespective of our political preference.