Newly appointed Minister for Women Affairs' Shahrizat Jalil said that her first priority as a fully fledged minister would be to mainstream women's issues and make them apolitical besides 'gender sensitising' the cabinet.

"I will first of all strive to mainstream women's issues. When it comes to women's issues, we should work together even if we differ in our political ideologies," said Shahrizat at a press conference this evening soon after the cabinet reshuffle was announced.

Unsure whether she will be heading a completely new ministry or whether she would still be under the Prime Minister's Department (JPM), Shahrizat said that she could only confirm this tomorrow, as she has yet to be officially informed.

"I have been hearing the rumours that I will be made a minister but I did not want to pre-empt anything as in politics anything can happen. In this country, there are rumours everyday of a cabinet reshuffle. Anything can happen in politics," said Shahrizat.

Shahrizat thanked the prime minister and deputy prime minister for fulfilling their promise made at the last Women's Day celebrations concerning the setting up of a new ministry for women's affairs.

"My appointment augurs well for the country. It shows that the prime minister realises the potent force of women in this country," she said.

Advocacy and feedback

Shahrizat said her appointment was also an acknowledgment of the struggle of Malaysian women, their non-governmental organisations and activists for the past 50 years.

To a query on whether her appointment would be politicised by the opposition as an attempt to woo women voters, Shahrizat said, "If it is so, then it is a good tactic."

"I have been laying my foundations for the past one year as the head of Hawa (JPM's Women's Affairs Division) and my most important objective will be to work as a team. There will be no change in my strategy on how I tackle women's issues.

"It will be mainly divided into policy matters and feedback; advocacy in critical areas and programmes," said Shahrizat.

She also said that women could make a difference and it was good to see the government harnessing the potential of women in nation building.

"At the end of my tenure, I want the rakyat to say that I have done my job well," said Shahrizat.

She added other programmes she will be looking into will be 'gender sensitisation' of the cabinet and the amendment of laws pertaining to women's issues.

All Women Action's Society (Awam) president Dr Mary Suma Cardosa said the appointment of Shahrizat and the creation of a new ministry was an opportunity for mainstreaming gender issues into all areas of government policy and practice.

"We hope the ministry will spearhead serious efforts to implement the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) and the Beijing Platform of Action - both of which have been adopted by the Malaysian government," said Cardosa.

Cedaw and the Beijing Platform of Action are resolutions passed in international conferences to better the status of women in United Nation member countries.

Party stability

Meanwhile, People's Progressive Party (PPP) president Senator M Kayveas, who was appointed as Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government in the reshuffle said the appointment was a sign that the party was moving in the right direction.

"We have been having so many troubles over the last 11 years but after much perseverence and toil, we have been able to bring some stability to it," he told malaysiakini .

He said that this was a historical moment for the party that had a strong and dominant past. The party was formed in 1953 in Perak and its founding members included the Seenivasagam brothers.

Over the years, leadership struggles have taken a front row seat in the party. The party has been dragged to the courts several times over leadership disputes.

Kayveas, a lawyer, was brought into the party to solve the leadership crisis and has been at the helm of the party for the past seven years.

He has gradually turned the party from one that was largely based in Perak into one more national-based. PPP, which joined Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1995, was not given any seats in the 1995 and 1999 general elections.

'Sweet surprise'

"The recognition we received today is the dividend for our struggle," said Kayveas.

He added his appointment was a "sweet surprise" as he had no inkling he would be made a deputy minister.

"We knew the party was to be rewarded with a government post but we thought it will be a parliamentary secretary's post," he said.

Asked on what his immediate concern in the ministry would be, Kayveas said that being a deputy minister, his job was to "dutifully report to the minister" and carry out whatever programmes that were in place.