IN a 2014 public opinion survey on the prime minister’s job approval ratings, pollster Merdeka Centre found that more men were unhappier with Najib Razak than women.

The survey conducted among voters in the peninsula in June that year found that only 39% of women voters were dissatisfied with Najib, compared with 54% male voters. They were from a mix of urban and rural areas.

In a country where women make up 50.5% of more than 14.4 million voters – based on the 2016 electoral roll – they are the group to be courted by parties contesting in the 14th general election.

To get a glimpse of where their sentiments lie, The Malaysian Insight asked a dozen women voters their major concerns about the country. Almost all pointed to the economy, the rising cost of living and their children’s education.

Some said the racial card has been overplayed. And even those who appeared more inclined towards the opposition said they did not know what Pakatan Harapan could do to change things.

Mums v rising prices

Penang voter P.M. Lim, worries about the increasing cost of living which she blamed on the goods and services tax (GST) introduced about nine months after the survey.

She was also concerned that cuts to the fuel subsidy was making life harder for low- and medium-income earners, like her household.

Her husband is a clerk, while the mother of two from Bukit Gelugor is a stay-at-home mum. The 44-year-old Lim cannot work full-time because their youngest daughter, 8, is autistic and needs special care.

“Money is tight. We have to forgo some of the therapies the child needs, like her speech therapy which we stopped since early this year. There is also her 11-year-old sister to care,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Lim said in Australia, the government assisted working parents with special needs children by providing care centres. Malaysia, she said, has not done enough to help those with these kinds of needs.

“Barisan Nasional does address national issues but obviously there is much more to be done. I don’t know what Pakatan Harapan can do until they are in Putrajaya. Politicians will talk but when it comes to implementing programmes, many take their time. Not to mention all the red tape to deal with,” she said.

Another mother, Shazana Shabuddin, has a two-year-old with eczema. She spends RM600 a month on milk powder and medicines for the child.

“Before GST, things were not so expensive but the past two years have been tough. Prices have gone up,” she said.

Shazana, in her late 20s, will be voting for the first time in the next elections. She said she was still undecided.

Clerk Yana Mohamed from Kelantan was concerned that salaries remained stagnant while prices went up.

The mother of two living in Shah Alam spends RM700 a month – a chunk of her monthly salary – on day care and kindergarten fees.

“I really feel the pinch. I would like to be a stay-at-home mother and take care of the kids myself. But that’s impossible,” said the 30-something.

Norwati Abdul Ghani, 49, from Perak, sells fritters in Seberang Jaya, Penang with her husband. She said she worried about the rising prices of goods as her family did not make much from their roadside stall.

The couple with three teenagers live at the Ampang Jajar PPR (people’s public housing) flats where the monthly rent is RM100. 

She grumbled that even school has become more expensive, with textbooks changing every few years and the children needing a computer for class projects.

“Not every family can afford a laptop,” said the woman who votes in Batu Kurau, Larut. 

The cost of higher education is also a worry for Norwati whose son had wanted to study nursing after Form Five but failed to get into a government programme. The family could not afford a private programme that cost more than RM50,000.

Stall operator Devi Gopal in Shah Alam also said the economy was bad after her earnings fell 60% compared with last year because of dwindling business.

“Petrol prices go up and down. Prices of everything else increase. Salaries stay the same. So, I cannot raise my prices if I want customers,” said the mother with college-going kids.

“I hope the government can do something to revive the economy. This place becomes quiet after 3pm. It wasn’t like this before,” she said when met at her stall at the PKNS building.

With living costs going up, civil servant Siti Aishah Idris said she could no longer indulge her children as she used to with treats.

First-time voter Annabelle Ahmad, a 23-year-old sales assistant, said she hoped the government will bring back the petrol subsidy and look into the price hikes since the introduction of GST.

Welfare, healthcare and safety

Single mothers, meanwhile, want better welfare and a government that understood their needs, said Latifah Hussainsa, 63, from Bayan Baru, Penang.

The social activist, a single mother herself, said this group of women, who were mostly medium- and low-income earners, worried about the cost of living and healthcare.

She said many struggled to put a roof over their heads and make a living after their marriages fell apart.

“Some still want to care for their children despite their own dire situation. Some even have sick children to care for.

“Many are Malays… neglected, poor and without help. They couldn’t even get PPR homes. 

“But the amazing thing was, most continued to vote for BN despite the ruling government failing to properly help them. In the past, 80% of single mothers voted BN,” she said.

This trend, Latifah said, was changing but those in the less urban areas were still supportive of BN.

She said cash handouts and contributions were helpful to single mothers, but the women also needed to feel cared for through support networks. 

“You need to have that personal touch. The best programme is one where leaders and single mothers can meet and engage. Penang’s i-Sejahtera (welfare) programme is good in that way.”

Fresh graduate Sylvia Chew said the government needed to do more to improve safety and healthcare for women.

She said women worried about their safety when they are out at night, about rape and domestic violence, as well as health issues.

“The government addresses certain health risks, such as breast cancer, but has never touched on how to aid those in need after discovering their health issues. With the recent inflation, more and more women cannot afford their medical bills,” said the 25-year-old corporate communications executive.

She is also concerned about the difficulty in getting a housing loan with a fresh graduate’s salary.

Asked if she was looking forward to voting, the first-time voter said she was not confident in the political parties from either side.

“None seems to be able to offer a good change for the country. I will still vote, and hope to make it count.”

Improve education

Mother of two Reena Samuel, 37, is concerned about her children’s future and singled out the need to improve the education system, which she feels does not encourage creativity or critical thinking.

“Our rigid education system seems to be producing parrots and not thinkers because the focus is to produce many ‘high achievers’.

“They are only as good as parrots, who end up suffering at university or the workforce where they won’t be spoon-fed,” the clerk from Bayan Baru said.

Lim, whose autistic daughter attends a normal school, said education in Malaysia was not up to world standards, what more for children with special needs.

“The standard is subpar in special classes in normal schools. Children with special needs – autistic, hyperactive or with learning disabilities – are all mixed in classes handled by teachers who are not well-trained enough to deal with autism. 

“Therapies at private centres cost a lot. After our daughter finishes school, there are little opportunities for her. We worry how she will cope after we are gone.”

End racism

Reena also wants the education system to help end racial and religious prejudice by teaching children not to differentiate others according to their ethnicity and faith.

“There is no superior race or religion. There is nothing wrong with learning about other people’s traditions, religions and ethnicity. 

“It is too much when kids are taught that they are different. We should educate them to be human, to be Malaysians first,” she said, referring to news last month of a school that separated drinking cups for Muslims and non-Muslims.

Reena also said access to higher education should be based on merit and equal opportunity, not racial quotas.

“But the government has done the opposite. They’ve made a system that created a generation of racists, bullies, disrespectful and selfish people, who are supposed to lead the country in the future.”

She said PH has at least promoted the idea of “Malaysian first” although she did not know what the opposition could do to reverse the current situation.

“Who can tell until they are given the opportunity to run the country. If they do a lousy job, vote for the other party but don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Retired nurse Nina Eu, 70, from Bagan in Penang said she worries about the rising cost of living and racial sentiments fanned by politicians, including those in the government.

“I can understand if they say inflation is inevitable in all economies. But must we continue harping on race, even after 60 years of Merdeka? 

“How do we achieve the social equity the government talks about when we can’t look past race?”

Mother of two Evelyn Chew from Malacca said she felt the government has focused only on a certain race, and hopes the future generation will have equal rights regardless of their ethnicity. – September 8, 2017.