IN a more open environment of discourse, a Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader was faced with two uncomfortable questions at a forum in Universiti Malaya this afternoon.

During the question-and-answer session, two UM students asked Selangor exco Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud about the double portfolios for state chiefs and the 30% quota for women leaders in decision making positions.

“There are plans to amend the state laws to allow for the appointment of more women lawmakers. These could be ADUNs (state asemblymen) without constituencies. But we will need time,” said Dr Siti Mariah at the Towards a new progressive Malaysia Post GE14? forum in UM this afternoon.

She said the current first-past-the-post system does not allow for more women candidates as the parties had to consider the winnability of the candidates.

“More women could have been included but they may not be accepted by the electorate (depending on constituency) or party grassroots,” she explained.

In the Selangor exco there are only two women in the 10-person state exco while Penang only has one. Currently there are three women in the 14-person federal cabinet.

PH had promised to have 30% of women in decision making roles.

On the question of multiple portfolios for chief ministers and mentris besar, she said PH only focused on the prime minister.

“The manifesto only mentioned that the prime minister should not hold the finance minister post or another portfolio. The states were not included.

“Maybe, we could include this in the next manifesto. Most states have multiple portfolios,” she added.

Besides being Penang chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow also holds the land, transport and information portfolios. In Selangor, Azmin Ali is the mentri besar and is in charge of finance, land and communications.

Another panellist, Edmund Terrence Gomez said the rule restricting the prime minister to a single role should apply to the rest.

“This should be across the board for other states as a chief minister or menteri besar holding the land portfolio gives him a lot of power. Land issues open the opportunity for corruption,” said Gomez.

The other speakers were International Movement for a Just World president Chandra Muzaffar, Layang-Layang lawmaker Onn Hafiz Ghazi and UM law lecturer Azmi Sharom.

The forum was organised by the Institute of Research Management and Innovation, Faculty of Law and the UM Academic Staff Association. The session was moderated by Prof Mohd Hazim Shah Abdul Murad. – May 25, 2018.