KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today credited Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) with elevating the status of women in Malaysia, saying it was thanks to their support that women today do not need to “burn their bras” or become activists to achieve gender equality.
“Congratulations to Malaysian men, especially the Umno men, for always supporting us, women,” the Wanita Umno chief said in her winding-up speech at the Umno 66th general assembly here.
“It is because of the achievements of the Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) government that we... forgive my words... we don’t need to be activists, we don’t need to burn our bras to get gender equality,” she told the sea of over 2,000 candidates gathered for the party’s final huddle before the 13th general election.
The former women affairs minister heaped high praise on Malaysia’s founding fathers and prime ministers for recognising the role of women in the country’s administration, particularly singling out Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and current prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for their women-friendly policies.
She noted that it was due to their efforts that women are now employed in 31.7 per cent of “decision-making positions in the public service.”
“Today, since Najib became the PM, six women of different races hold the post of ministry secretary-generals.
“Under Najib, there has been so much transformation for the womenfolk… Now, more than 30 per cent of decision-making positions in the boardrooms of government-linked companies must be women,” Shahrizat said.
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