Penang DAP state chairperson Chow Kon Yeow has castigated MCA president Chua Soi Lek for his "outburst" at his party colleague Heng Seai Kie, who has reportedly backed Low See Mee, the only female candidate in the Pandamaran village chief polls.

Low is a former councillor from MCA but has now joined PKR, while Heng is deputy minister for women, family, and community development.

NONEChow (left), who is state exco on local government, traffic management and environment, said in a statement that Chua's "callous comment against women is symptomatic of his narrow-mindedness".

"He claims it is illogical for women to support a candidate on the sole basis of gender. What I find illogical is Chua's inability to look beyond zero-sum politics," added the Padang Kota assemblyperson.

Chow said while Heng's support for the only female candidate crossed party lines, her act should have been praised in the context of raising awareness for women's representation in the democratic process.

He added that as a former minister, Chua should be well-informed on the government's policy for 30 percent women in decision making in the public sector, which was announced in 2004.

The sole woman candidate in the Pandamaran village election represents an opportunity for women's issues to be represented, he stressed.

"If anything, her participation should be celebrated. I urge Chua to look at the bigger picture of women's representation and stop imposing his narrow-mindedness on Malaysians."

Chua had said in the media that it was wrong for the Heng to show her support based on the candidate's gender.

He questioned who Heng would support if a female candidate was fielded by the opposition in the general election and her opponent was a male from BN.

The Pandamaran polls will be conducted this Sunday.

Suaram supports Selangor

Meanwhile, local human rights NGO Suaram expressed its support for Selangor to hold elections for the posts of village chiefs.

Its coordinator Sarah Devaraj said by allowing villagers to choose a leader directly, instead of having one appointed for them, Selangor had led by example in the call for local elections to be revived.

She also praised the polls for using the indelible ink during voting, an approach which has been rejected by the Election Commission.

Devaraj added that this was a meaningful achievement for participatory democracy in Malaysia.

She encouraged Selangor to keep up the momentum for democratic change and to further explore ways to hold elections for local governments.

"Local elections are not impossible as claimed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last year when Selangor and Penang called for the EC to facilitate elections for its respective local governments," she added.

Devaraj said by direct elections, the person holding the post of village chief is made directly accountable to the constituents.

She added that in essence, direct democracy and participatory democracy is the way forward for the organic development of communities.

She urged the federal government to respect the people's demands for free and fair elections.

"Federal appointed village committees have no real reason for existence except to legitimise BN's money politics at the local level," she claimed.

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