27-07-2025
Time to draft and table gender equality Bill, says Mah
All smiles: Dr Mah posing for photographs with Perak Wanita MCA members during the AGM in Ipoh. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: More efforts should be put into the drafting and tabling of the long-awaited Bill for gender equality, says Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.
The MCA deputy president said while there had been some positive changes regarding women's rights, the unity government was still slow in drafting the Bill.
'The government has made some strides in advancing women's rights but there is still discontent among some communities.
'For over a decade, civil society organisations, human rights advocates and various political coalitions have been pushing for this landmark legislation.
'Its primary goal is to codify and enforce the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination into Malaysian law, moving beyond piecemeal amendments to existing Acts,' he said in his speech when opening the Perak Wanita MCA annual general meeting (AGM) here yesterday.
'There is no clear timetable to table the Bill in Parliament, which I feel should be an urgent need,' he added.
Dr Mah said he believes the primary obstacle to the Bill was due to opposition from conservative religious and political groups.
'Some criticisms included promotion of Western or liberal values that are incompatible with Malaysian culture.
'There is also resistance due to concerns that it could be used to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, which is a sensitive issue.
'I believe that a Bill can be drawn within the framework of the Federal Constitution, which ensures justice and fairness to the people,' he said.
Dr Mah said among the problems still faced by women is inadequate representation in political parties or decision-making positions, moral policing of women's attire and domestic violence.
'The goal was to achieve a 30% quota for women in political decision-making roles but it remains elusive.
'The amount of female representation in Parliament has also decreased with only five women ministers.
'While laws exist, domestic violence remains a significant issue, with thousands of cases reported annually,' Dr Mah added.
Separately, Dr Mah, who is also state MCA chairman, urged party members to continue to be committed to the party.
He said it was important for members to attend important party events, especially those who represented the party as elected representatives or appointed to government positions.
'If they can't even show up for the party's annual general assembly, or if you just mark your attendance but leave, or frequently skip meetings, these (actions) say everything.
'If they can't even fulfil the basic requirement of participation, it shows they do not respect the party,' Dr Mah said.
He added that while most of the state Wanita wing's division representatives were present during the AGM, there were still a few who were expected to attend, but were absent.
'If someone does not take the party seriously, the party will reassess their performance accordingly.
'We are committed to grooming new talents but action will still be taken if issues arise.'
