专访王赛芝上议员 Interview YB Senator Heng Seai Kie

王赛芝上议员
马华妇女组总秘书

王赛芝强调说，"马华公会比国内其他政党在提升妇女代表权上走得更前。2008年，马华派出竞选国会议席的女性候选人占了党总候选人数的18%，而民主行动党的国会女性候选人只占17%，回教党7%，人民公正党9%。除此，在党内的4位票选副总会长中就有一位是女性，占25%；4位马华部长中1位是女性，占25%；7位副部长中2位是女性，也占了29%”。

她说，拿督斯里黄燕燕医生在竞选票选副总会长的时候，在6个候选人当中可以脱颖而出，成为目前马来西亚各政党中第一位票选的女性副总会长，证明马华男党员对女性领导的肯定。拿督斯里黄燕燕医生的中选是马华妇女组实现党内更多女性代表的第一步。”

“我们需要通过修改党章，规定每一区，支会的代表，都必须要达到30%女性代表权，而最有效的措施就是规定我党的最高决策层，会长理事会和马华中委会拥有30%的女性代表。”

“我们毕竟处在一个由父权主导的东方社会，因此有必要通过教育改变现有的父权观念。。。[我们] 需要灌输男性 [对性别敏感]，进而接受女性为领导者。”

YB Senator Heng Seai Kie

Wanita MCA Secretary General

"YB Heng Seai Kie pointed out that MCA is much ahead than other political parties in the country in terms of increasing women’s participation in decision making. She added that in 2008, MCA has the highest proportion of women Parliamentary candidates with 18% compared to DAP’s 17%, PAS 7% and PKR at 9%. In addition, she said among the four elected Vice Presidents in the party, one is a woman, constituting 25% of women representation; one woman among the total four MCA ministers, constituting 25% of women representation; and two women out of a total of seven MCA Deputy Ministers constituting 29% of women representation."

She said the election of YB Dato Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen as Vice President of MCA from six candidates and becoming the first elected Vice President in any political party in the country has proved the recognition given by MCA male members on of the leadership of women. This was Wanita MCA’s first step towards achieving greater women representation within the party.

On what concrete measures which could be employed by MCA to rectify the gender imbalance of decision-makers in the party, she mentioned that “we need to amend the party constitution to provide for at least 30% women representation for delegates from every division and branch and the “the most effective measure is to have 30% women representation at the highest decision making level- which is the party’s Presidential Council and Central Committee.”

In addition, she stressed the need for a shift in perception and attitude towards women as leaders through education, “Since the eastern society which we are living in is male-dominated, there is a pertinent need for education to change the existing patriarchal perception of men as leaders, and we need to inculcate gender sensitivity in men so that they are ready to accept women as leaders.”