All women are qualified to hold top government positions except one particular woman, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, referring to PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

 

"For me, personally, women are more qualified to be prime minister or menteri besar, but not  that  woman.

 

(But) it is up to Pakatan to decide," he told a press conference after chairing the Umno Youth exco meeting in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

 

He was asked to respond to Umno lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun who had said Wan Azizah may be unfit become Selangor menteri besar because of her gender.

 

Mohd Hafarizam ( left ) was quoted in a New Straits Times report today as saying that Wan Azizah may not be able to accompany the sultan in religious functions in the time of her menses.

Elaborating on Mohd Hafarizam's remarks, Khairy described it as the lawyer's personal comments.

 

He added that Mohd Hafarizam's concerns that a woman MB cannot accompany the sultan in religious functions (during menstruation) was misplaced as that was not the menteri besar's only job. 

 

"The menteri besar's job is to manage the state. That (accompanying the sultan) is only a small part (of his job)," he said.

 

No compromise

On another matter, Khairy said Umno Youth takes the stance that the upcoming harmony bills intended to replace the Sedition Act cannot compromise on issues such as the position of Islam, royalty, Malay language and bumiputera special privileges.

 

He also called on the government to impose a levy on vehicles coming into Malaysia from Singapore in response to Singapore raising its levy on vehicles entering the city-state.

 

Meanwhile, Puteri Umno chief Mas Ermieyati in a Twitter posting also described Hafarizam's statement as a personal comment.

 

"The question of women's 'keuzuran' is not a big issue but what is more important is women's credibility and leadership," she said.

 

Instead, Mas took aim at Wan Azizah, claiming that she had failed to play her role as PKR president, citing the party's disorganised elections.

 

"If she cannot even manage her own party how is she to manage a state well?" she said.

 

Meanwhile, when asked for clarification, Hafarizam told Malaysiakini his remarks was not specific to Wan Azizah but referred to women in general.

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