Ong Kian Mings piece (Increase in election deposits not warranted, Feb 8) highlights with great clarity that the increase in election deposits has no basis at all.

We, the Womens Candidacy Initiative and which I represent, are of the opinion that the proposal contravenes the spirit of Article 8 of the federal constitution which enshrines that all persons are equal before the law.

The existing requirements are already burdensome for candidates who do not have easy access to resources. The proposal will only heighten this and grossly discriminate against women candidates, those from lower socio-economic positions and issue-based candidates without party machinery.

Elections should provide fertile ground from which principled people can be elected to office. The proposed amendment, however, will foster an uneven playing field and send the message that only the rich can run as candidates. We believe that this will mark Malaysia as breaching the spirit of equality and participator democracy.

It is a well-documented universal phenomena that due to systemic and historical discrimination against them, women have faced restricted and limited access to both information and resources to run for and participate in public office.

The Women and Family Development Ministry should take great exception to this proposal as it clearly disadvantages and discriminates against women. Not only does the proposal contravene the spirit of the recently amended constitution not to discriminate against women, but it also flies in the face of the government of Malaysia who has ratified the Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This will clearly be a black mark against the government of Malaysia.

In the interest of advancing womens rights in this country, the Women and Family Development Ministry and the minister herself should vehemently oppose the amendments on the grounds that the amendments will disproportionately affect women candidates.

Parliament and its members, when sitting commences next month, should oppose the amendments as it would seem highly hypocritical for the government to, on the one hand, denounce money politics yet at the same time allow amendments that will put a price tag on political participation.

In the event that the Dewan Rakyat fails to act in public interest, the Dewan Negara must exercise its duty as part of the checks and balances to the Dewan Rakyat.

The public and other interest groups should assert their rights and make their voices heard by meeting or writing to their members of parliament asking that the MPs not support the amendments.

MPs represent the people and the public has the right to insist that their elected members safeguard participatory democracy.