Liew (middle), flanked by Wong and IWC 2024 Organising Chairman Sitti B. Damsal, touching the wall to officially launch the Conference. Fourth from right is Lai.
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Christina Liew did not rule out the possibility of Malaysia having its first woman Prime Minister in the future.
“I sincerely believe it will happen one day. There is no dearth of women leaders in the country, and ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. As a matter of fact, Malaysia had its first female Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) in the person of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who broke the ‘glass ceiling’ in 2018 and served the nation as DPM until 2020.
“On the same note, I am optimistic that we, Malaysian women, can become Prime Minister too. No one can deny that women also contribute significantly to nation-building,” said the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister when launching the Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (SWEPA) International Women’s Conference 2024 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here Wednesday.
According to Liew, on the Sabah front, many Malaysian women are no exception having shattered the ‘glass ceiling’ to be the ‘first’ achiever in their respective fields or professions, such as being the first woman State Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Ambassador, State Attorney-General, Deputy State Secretary, Member of Parliament, District Officer, Mayor, President of a Municipal Council and the list goes on.
Liew said the theme of this year’s conference, “Empowering Women Leaders: Breaking Barriers and Shaping the Future”, is most relevant as women around the world continue to break the proverbial “glass ceiling”.
Sharing a personal experience, she said she had two losses (in an apparent reference to her earlier electoral defeats) but this did not dampen her spirit to soldier on until she succeeded.
“Failure is not a setback. Fight on, smash the glass ceiling, and you can see the sky. The sky is the limit.”
Urging the women to take the cue from her, she said: “If you happen to experience a ‘glass ceiling’ at any point in your life, be it in the home, workplace, society, state or nation, don’t ever give up.
“Fight for your rights. If you fell yesterday, rise today and move on.
“Believe in yourself that you have the willpower and capacity to overcome any obstacle that gets in your way. When you face challenges, don’t break down in tears but be proactive and strong enough to address these challenges to emerge victorious, to realise your dream or to attain your goal in life.”
However, the Minister admitted that globally, not just in Malaysia, it will be a long and arduous journey for women to achieve milestones “as long as there are enduring gender inequalities in education, in the workplace, in the economic sector, and in the political arena, among other areas of concern”.
“It will be a ‘miracle’ if Malaysian women can secure the much sought-after 30 per cent candidacies in the country’s next general election due in 2027. Let’s see if this long-term ‘aspiration’ of increasing women’s representation in politics will become a reality,” said the Api-Api Assemblywoman.
In a press conference later, Liew said the State Government has two entities that are committed to empowering women in Sabah.
She said the relevant bodies are the Sabah Women’s Advisory Council (MPWS) and its implementing agency, the Sabah Women’s Affairs Department (JHEWA).
Liew said MPWS and JHEWA are entrusted with the task of overseeing women’s development and progress to enhance their socioeconomic status.
“They are doing a good job,” she said in response to a reporter who wanted to know what the Government is doing to empower women in the State.
The Minister agreed with another reporter who suggested that more needs to be done for further women’s advancement.
The conference attracted almost 500 delegates and guests from the USA, India, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia. It was organised by SWEPA and supported by the Sabah State Government.
Meanwhile, SWEPA President Karen Wong said SWEPA with a 30-year history is not just a normal women’s association as it is also a very energetic club with more than 160 members in its database.
“Each year, we have more than 10 activities planned for our members to network or be trained in a variety of platforms. We plan to expand our network and thus welcome collaboration with great partners and associates in pooling our resources for the common good,” she said in her address earlier.
Wong thanked the State Government, Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS), Sabah Tourism Board (STB), Sri Pelancongan Sabah, Sabah Parks, major sponsors Sabah Credit Corporation and Melilea Group of Companies, and all other sponsors as well as strategic partners for their support.
Among the guests were KePKAS Permanent Secretary Josie Lai, Sabah Parks Deputy Director Rimi Repin (representing the Director Dr Maklarin Lakim), MPWS Chairman Datuk Dr Tarsiah TZ Taman, Bobby Alex Sundang (representing STB CEO Julinus Jeffery Jimit), Sabah Convention Bureau CEO Noredah Othman, SICC CEO Datuk Rosmawati Lasuki and Founder of Melilea Group of Companies Datuk Prof Dr Stella Chin.
