Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri
KUCHING: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dato Sri Nancy Shukri hopes to see an increase in the number of female politicians in the country.
As the nation moves forward, there should also be urgency in having more female politicians, she said.
“How about that? Let us see in the coming election, how many women candidates will be nominated and how many will be voted in,” said Nancy in a press statement yesterday,
aimed at sharing her thoughts as a tribute to those who have contributed significantly to the growth of the nation’s economy.
“Given the increasing evidence of women being a force behind our economic growth, our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) has committed to have at least 30 per cent female senators if the BN wins the coming GE14. Although I am not in favour of quota, nevertheless, we have to start with a figure which women ought to fill up in decision-making positions. I am intrigued by an increase in female directors, CEOs, heads of departments, judges and other decision-making positions. At present, women in Malaysia make up 14 per cent of board membership, according to Deloitte, which tracked gender diversity on boards in 44 countries. While the percentage is low in global terms, the number still tops the list in Asia,” she stressed.
In recent years, women have exemplified and illustrated that they too, are an economic force to be reckoned with, she said.
“In that, I wish to take this opportunity to highlight that as of today, 20.6 per cent of SMEs in Malaysia are women-owned companies,” she pointed out.
She added that currently the nation only has 24 female representatives in the Parliament.
On another matter, Nancy reminded the people that Malaysia is a country not without its flaws but a nation with so much strength in order for it to rise above the occasion when the cards are stacked.
“In Malaysia, anyone can be successful in areas of his or her choice as long as one is willing to work for it. Unemployment is no longer a fate or a circumstance – today, it is a choice. In this exciting age of innovation, Malaysia has created an ecosystem that encourages her people to be creative and innovative.
“An agency like Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) is an evidence of such initiatives by the government to encourage creation of wealth through knowledge, technology and innovative skills development which have led to the increasing number of entrepreneurs in Malaysia.”
She added that Malaysia is increasingly receiving recognition and acknowledgement at the international level for its work in various fields of development, especially in its innovative initiatives.
“The most recent being the Social Impact Exchange launched on Dec 12 2017 by our Honourable PM (Najib), and the Social Outcome Fund of which I have had the honour to launch in March this year.
“In fact, Professor W. Chan Kim and Professor Renee Mauborgne, world renowned speakers cum authors of the global best seller book ‘Blue Ocean Shift’, spoke highly of Malaysia’s initiatives, in particular, our Urban Transformation Centres (UTC). Not too long ago, it would take us a while to make our passport. Today, it will only take you less than 24 hours.”
The concept of UTC is one of the government’s successful initiatives demonstrating that the government is listening and responding to the people’s aspiration for a faster and more efficient service delivery, said Nancy.
“Of course, we have done and are currently undertaking many other initiatives, and these initiatives have showcased our ability to not only put Malaysia on the map, but also our ability to level up on the world stage.
“To that end, we strive to constantly carve out our niche – daring to try formula for the best of the nation – by introducing high impact and low cost initiatives to open up new value cost frontier, resulting in our agency like Pemandu, becoming a consultant to other developing countries,” she said.
“How time flies! We have come to the end of Year 2017. What better time than today to reflect on our highs and lows in 2017 and look forward to 2018. As the days move on to months and to years, it is so encouraging to witness fellow Malaysians progressing so well that I feel we ought to celebrate their achievements in many ways,” said Nancy who is also Batang Sadong MP.