Day: March 8, 2018

Political parties urged to endorse recently launched Women’s Manifesto

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Source: The Star Online

Launching of the Women’s Manifesto on International Women’s Day by Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) with support of non-governmental organisations under the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG). Pic from The Star Online.

PETALING JAYA: Political parties and candidates are urged to endorse the recently launched Women’s Manifesto to champion women’s rights in Malaysia.

The Women’s Manifesto was launched on International Women’s Day by Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) with support of non-governmental organisations under the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG).

“We hope to see political parties endorsing our Manifesto over the next few weeks, in time for the 14th General Election,” said Empower executive director Angela Kuga Thas at the launch in Gerakbudaya on Thursday.

Angela said that 40 civil society organisations have already endorsed the Women’s Manifesto, and hopes to see more political parties and organisations being added to the list.

The three objectives of the Women’s Manifesto is to have election candidates champion women’s agenda, inform Malaysians on the state of women’s rights, and to demand for change from the government to create a better environment for women’s rights. Read more →

Do more than promise quotas for women, say activists

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Source: The Malaysian Insight

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day in Malaysia is a mockery if the country’s leadership fails to protect the safety of women, activists said.

They urged whichever party that forms the next government take a firmer stand on violence against women.

They said women who spoke up for human rights were being attacked, while sex education was necessary at all learning institutions to teach youth violence against women was wrong.

Social activist Marina Mahathir said the authorities need to address the culture of violence towards women who fought for women’s rights, especially Muslim women.

“The authorities must change this attitude. Women make up 50% of Malaysians and voters. We do not need things like Year of Women Empowering which is just empty talk  ,” she told The Malaysian Insight. Read more →

Violence against women in Malaysia — Awam

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

BY THE ALL WOMEN’S ACTION SOCIETY

MARCH 8 — This International Women’s Day, we note with pleasure the international upsurge in public condemnation of influential individuals involved in cases of sexual harassment. This marks a great step forward in tackling an issue that has long plagued the public sphere, and we hope that more people are encouraged to step forward and speak their truth.

However, pinning the blame on individual perpetrators is not enough. These incidences of sexual harassment cannot be isolated from the social and cultural norms within which they are rooted. Sexual harassment is also just one of the ways that the patriarchy exacts violence against women. Read more →

Bersih wants RCIs on local elections, EC reform in manifestos

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Source: Free Malaysia Today

It says this would show commitment by any party or coalition to ensure electoral reform after GE14.

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Bersih says voters must use their votes to pressure parties into committing to the two RCIs. (AFP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 has called on all political parties to include the establishment of Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCIs) on local government elections and electoral reform as part of their manifestos for the 14th general election (GE14).

In a statement by the Bersih steering committee yesterday, the coalition said parties could no longer ignore the two issues.

Read more →

EC 100% prepared for GE14

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Source: The Sun Daily

Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said they were prepared in terms of workforce and logistics as well as in providing training and courses on the respective duties and responsibilities. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Election Commission (EC) workers nationwide are 100% ready to ensure that the 14th General Election (GE14) runs smoothly, says its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah.

He said they were prepared in terms of workforce and logistics as well as in providing training and courses on the respective duties and responsibilities.

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Australian PM’s son says he was sidelined for blowing whistle on 1MDB scandal

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Source: The Edge Markets

Alex Turnbull, son of the Australian Prime Minister, has claimed he was sidelined at Goldman Sachs after he had blown the whistle on billions of dollars of questionable deals involving 1MDB.

The Australian reported that while Alex was working with Goldman Sachs in Singapore in 2012-13, the bank had raised US$6 billion in bonds for 1MDB. Read more →