Address of Saudari Chong Eng, Wanita DAP National Chief to Wanita DAP
Salam sejahtera dan salam perjuangan kepada saudari-saudari srikandi Wanita DAP.
The DAP Women wing was established about 5 years after the formation of our Party. The formation of Wanita DAP is part of the progressive vision of our Party leaders to highlight the Party’s struggle from the perspective of gender at that time.
In 1992, Wanita DAP sent a loud and clear message to the UMNO-Barisan Nasional Government through the Wanita DAP Tanjong Declaration 1992 which, among others, rejected all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation against women. At that time, the Wanita DAP was already ahead of our time in Malaysia in the struggle for gender equality. At that time, the UMNO-Barisan Nasional Government has not even ratified the United Nation’s CEDAW or the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and yet Wanita DAP has already made a firm stance on gender based on international principles.
Dear Comrades,
The primary goal of our Party since our formation is to establish a Malaysia where every citizens will be treated equally regardless of skin colour, religion or political ideology. Many of our leaders and comrades have sacrificed their lifetime to uphold social equality and justice in our beloved Motherland. We as the Women Wing will and must move together with Party machinery to achieve that noble objective, to build a Malaysians Malaysia.
There is however one thing which I would like to remind all of us today: in our struggle for social equality in our Country, we must realize that “Without Gender Equality, There Is No Social Equality”.
Up to this day, we have yet to see any substantial improvement made by the UMNO-Barisan Nasional Government to achieve gender equality in Malaysia. On the contrary, as we celebrate the International Women’s Day on this 8th of March, women all over Malaysia are faced with utter disappointment when we reflect on this year’s International Women’s Day theme: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress For All.
In Malaysia, women’s economy status is still very low, many are still dependent rather than independent economically. Sexual crimes against women especially rape are rampant, there were a 300% increase in rape cases from 2007 to 2008. All of us felt very angry and furious when we read about our Penan sisters in Baram who were exploited sexually. Until today, the UMNO-Barisan Nasional Government is still not able to uphold justice for the Penan victims.
Dear Comrades,
Just recently, CUEPACS Secretary Genderal Ahmad Shah Mohd Zain in a press report express worries that women are flooding the civil service and this will affect the progress of the Country in the long run. Such is the attitude of our leaders who are still trapped in time. Women are still not given equal opportunity although we have proven that we are capable of the same level of achievements. Women have shown to be able leaders in the corporate world as well as in politics. In Asia, we have women such as Megawati Sukarnoeputri, Corazon Aquino, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Pratibha Patil dan Benazir Bhutto who held the highest position in the Government of their respective countries. In Islamic history, women leaders such as Saidatina Siti Khadijah dan Saidatina Siti Aishah were some of the pillars of stability and progress of the ummah in the past.
But what is happening in Malaysia today?
Although after more than a decade of CEDAW in Malaysia, women are still very much left behind in the Government of UMNO-Barisan Nasional, from the Parliament to the Cabinet to the Civil Service. In Parliament, there are less than 10% of women law-makers, in Prime Minister Najib’s Cabinet, there are only 2 women Ministers, among 30 Ministers, in the civil service, women make up of only 15% of the total heads of departments. We are still far away from achieving CEDAW’s recommendation to have at least 30% of women at the level of decision-making.
My Dear Comrades,
We must realize that the power in a democratic Country is in the hands of its People. If we marginalize women, then in Malaysia we are marginalizing 50% of the Country’s population. Let us think about the capacity and power in the hands of 14 millions women in Malaysia. From the perspective of economy, these 14 millions are valuable human resources. They are not only our work force, but also source of innovation to transform Malaysia’s economy. From the perspective of politics, the support of these 14 millions will decide who becomes the next Government of Malaysia and the fate of our Country. Therefore, in our quest for Change, to reject racist politics and injustice of the UMNO-Barisan Nasional regime, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat must harvest the power of 14 million Malaysian women.
We must realize that UMNO-Barisan Nasional has utterly fail because of their culture of crony and corruption and their deeply entrenched racist policy. On the other hand, in Pakatan Rakyat State Government, we have executed women empowerment policy such as the establishment of Child Care Centre and the Women Service Centre, the first in Penang and also the extension of maternity leaves to 90 days in Selangor.
Hence, I would like to issue a call to all my Sisters and Comrades in Wanita DAP, we must work harder to present an alternative model to the People, especially women in Malaysia. Wanita DAP must offer ourselves as to be the leader to bring excellence to Malaysian women.
Salam perjuangan, Happy Women’s Day, Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All! Hidup Rakyat!
In Solidarity,
Chong Eng
Wanita DAP National Chief
