'No one gender should monopolise assemblies'

The proposal for a 30 percent quota for women in political office should be replaced with a policy that state assemblies and the Parliament should not be monopolised by any one gender, a Penang DAP assemblyperson says.

Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus) (left) said ideally, both genders are equally needed in any set-up.

However, due to their communal nature, women are less likely to stand up, as they feel less comfortable in competing with their male counterparts.

"Unless they feel it is okay to do so, which is why quotas are needed, to help give women the confidence and the feeling that it is okay," Yap, a first-time assemblyperson, said at a press conference at the Penang state assembly lobby yesterday.

"Therefore, I propose that the quota should state that the composition of elected representatives in the Penang legislative assembly should not consist of more than 70 percent from any gender," she added.

In a way, her views differ from her senior, state executive councillor for women, family, community and sports, Chong Eng, who said there should be a quota of at least 30 percent of women in the state assembly and in Parliament.

Chong (DAP-Padang Lallang) made the call when winding-up her speech during the 2014 Supply Bill on Thursday.

But Yap was quick to agree with Chong (right) that there is an urgent need to increase the representation of women in the assembly as almost 50 percent of the Penang population is female.

Adding that their needs and views should be equally represented on how the state is run, Yap noted that there are about 824,000 males and 823,000 females in Penang.

"However, I also view that the requirement of 30 percent quota for women seems to portray women as a weaker gender that needs extra protection," she said.

"If we can give women more confidence in themselves and that it is OK to stand on the same platform as men, then I believe that with this confidence, they would be able to compete equally with men and do not need extra protection," she added.

Yap urged both the BN and Pakatan to provide their women with opportunities to take up leadership positions within their respective parties.

Currently, out of 40, there are five assemblywomen in Penang, four from Pakatan (DAP, 3 and PKR, 1), while among the 10 elected Umno reps, there is only one woman, Jahara Hamid (BN-Telok Air Tawar), who is state opposition leader.

Other assemblypersons accompanying Yap during the press event were Norlela Ariffin (PKR-Penanti), Lee Khai Loon (PKR-Machang Bubok), Lim Siew Kim (DAP-Sungai Pinang), Soon Lip Chee (DAP-Jawi) and Teh Lai Heng (DAP-Komtar).

'PKR only party with 30 percent quota for women'

Norlela said PKR seems to be the only party to have a ruling of 30 percent for women candidates in the party's constitution.

"Because of this ruling, I became a candidate at the May 5 general elections and have the opportunity to be a YB today. The party was looking for female professional candidates and I was nominated," she said.

"Although the party had always fielded a male candidate in Penanti, when I won, I managed to carry out my duties event though I am a woman," she added, relating her success in addressing flood woes in her constituency.

Soon said although there is yet to be such ruling in the DAP, members should look for inspiration and courage from leaders like Chong, who was the only opposition in the Penang state assembly from 1995-1999, before becoming a three-term MP (Bukit Mertajam) from 1999-2008.

"But such ruling, quota or the policy of no monopoly by any gender should also be implemented at the local government level," said Soon, who before winning the Jawi seat on May 5, was appointed Seberang Perai municipal councillor.