Associate Professor Madeline Berma
KUCHING: Sarawak should lead the way by fielding more women candidates in the coming general election, said Women’s Advisory and Consultative Council member Associate Professor Madeline Berma.
“It’s really long overdue. It should be at least 30 per cent of total candidates.
“There are so many qualified women candidates,” she pointed out to The Borneo Post.
Madeline, who is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Management, National University of Malaysia, said that women elected representatives have proven that they are as capable as their male counterparts.
“The excuse that women are unfit to travel to serve their constituents in the interior is unacceptable. Both women and men lived in the rural areas, so both can serve as YBs,” she opined.
On speculation that Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will be fielding two women as candidates in the coming election, Madeline expressed her delight and commended both candidates (Datin Doris Sophia Brodie and Rita Insol) as highly qualified.
She also hoped that Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will be doing the same by fielding Dayak women candidates.
PBB currently has four women MPs, namely Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Rohani Karim, Minister in Prime Minister Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Tanjung Manis MP Datuk Norah Tun Abdul Rahman and Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang.