While praising the government for staging the successful NAM Ministerial Meeting for the Advancement of Women, the DAP also wants to see that efforts are made to implement the proposals contained in the Putrajaya Declaration.

"It is obvious that there are well thought-out plans but the government seems to be weak in the implementation part," DAP Wanita chief Chong Eng told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

This could be due to the lack of knowledge and awareness among policy-makers and decision-makers, she said.

A declaration adopted at the end of a two-day NAM conference said "equal participation of women in decision making is needed to strengthen democracy and promote quality growth".

The document noted that "women and children are the majority casualties of war but women's participation in the peace and security and decision-making process is very low".

Lauding the government's previous moves to improve the lot of Malaysian women, Chong Eng also stressed that "there are many more policies dating back to the sixth, seventh, and eighth Malaysian Plan which have not been implemented."

Lead, not just facilitate

"We urge the government to allocate more funding, resources and training to increase the implementation capacity of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development," she said.

Chong Eng, who is also the Bukit Mertajam MP, said the ministry should lead, rather than just facilitate.

"They must act on their plans to introduce gender-sensitisation programmes to all aspects of government, including ministers, civil and syariah court judges and officials and MPs," she pointed out.

She added that it is essential to ensure that gender focal points in each ministry monitor all discriminatory practices and put into place policies and legislation that promote gender equality.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the establishment of a NAM gender and development centre that would work closely with policymakers, scholars, research centres and other interested groups to stimulate discussions, promote exchange of opinions and serve as a centre for capacity building for women. It would also be a focal point to enhance cooperation among other NAM states and countries.

He also said that the government will achieve its 30 percent target for women's participation at the decision making level. However, he did not state its time frame.

Chong Eng urged the premier to prove his commitment by stating the duration to reach the target in encouraging women's involvement in decision making. "If you have the time frame, the government will push for the target," she emphasised.

Initiate changes

The party has also come up with some suggestions that the authorities have neglected to implement, saying that they should be given priority to avoid gender bias.

Among others, women should be given flexible working hours by the employers and mothers should be encouraged to work outside by ensuring quality care and early education for her children. Women NGOs should be given allocation to conduct educational programmes and the allocation of resources in the annual Budget should also look into the needs of women. A family court must be established to deal with divorce cases, domestic violence issues and family disputes.

Chong Eng also stressed that the government should play its role by creating the right environment and initiating the changes.

According to Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan who was also present at the press conference, there are some laws which need to be reviewed or amended to abolish discrimination and protect women's rights. (See table)

She suggested that the application process for interim protection order, under the Domestic Violence Act 1994 should be simplified and encourage gender-sensitivity among law enforcers.

She also suggested that the Marriage and Divorce Act 1976 should be amended so that the husband pays alimony directly to a fund managed by the government. Currently, the wife will refer to the court if the husband fails to pay up. This process is time and cost consuming.

According to Fong, the public should be aware that the Guardianship Infant's Act 1963 has been amended and equal guardianship has been given to both father and mother, in the event of divorce cases.

Corrupt NAM nations

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang who was also present called for a high level NAM Ministerial Anti Corruption Conference in Malaysia later this year.

This is to mark the climax of the three-year NAM Malaysian chair, she said.

Lim said that the rampant corruption of NAM governments, has been avoided like the plague at NAM meetings.

"The overwhelming majority of the 25 most corrupt countries out of 145 nations in the 2004 Corruption Perception Index survey of Transparency International are members of NAM - with Bangladesh leading the infamous pack, followed by Nigeria, Myanmar, Chad, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Cote d Ivoire, Congo Democratic Republic, Angola, Pakistan, Kenya, Iraq, Cameroon, Sudan, Niger, Guatemala and Bolivia.

He said that Malaysia will leave a "memorable and valuable legacy" by dealing with this matter before handling over the chair to Cuba in 2006.