THE Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition is determined to increase women’s participation in Malaysia’s labour force by strengthening support mechanisms for families and increasing investment in the care sector.
According to the latest data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the nation’s female labour participation rate at 55.8% is far behind that of their male counterparts (82.7%).
In addition, 42.9% of the 7.24 million individuals outside of the labour force cited housework or family responsibilities as their main reason for not working.
Since caregiving responsibilities are mostly borne by women in Malaysia, unless this issue is addressed immediately, participation of women in the workforce will continue to lag further behind even though many have attained the necessary qualification.
Therefore, PH aspires to implement the following five priorities in Bentong to ensure that women can fulfill their potential without needing to choose between raising a family or building their own successful career:
- Enhance Flood and Disaster Resilience
This entails reducing the impact of disasters with a comprehensive preparedness plan:
- Assistance based on damages of up to RM50,000 per household;
- Strengthen the operations of NADMA (National Disaster Management Agency) and disaster preparedness; and
- Streamline prevention and post-disaster relief efforts.
- Support the development of families and communities of Bentong
PH will empower women’s economic opportunities and support the development of children and every segment of society:
- Universal child benefit (monthly cash transfers deposited to parents for every child till the age of six);
- Childcare subsidies for working women from the B40 and M40 groups; and
- Special allowances for caregivers of the elderly and OKUs (disabled).
- Develop a modern agricultural hub
This is intended to generate youth economic opportunities so that they no longer have to venture out of their state to earn a living.
- Eliminating cartels to increase the participation of more smaller industry players;
- Upgrade markets and agro-based business centres;
- Enhance training incentives for modern agro-preneurs; and
- Expand social safety net for workers in the agriculture sector.
- Fair and sustainable urban development
PH will provide the necessary homes and infrastructures to ensure Bentong becomes a comfortable place to live in.
- Sufficient youth transit homes, affordable home ownership and rental in localities that require them;
- Continue to protect residents from unfair developments, especially those endangering forest areas; and
- Increase the coverage and frequency of buses to Bentong and the main town areas.
- Sports development at the grassroot level
We can restructure the development framework of the sports ecosystem not only to promote healthy social activities but also nurture talents at every level.
- Increase the number of sports, leisure, and youth activity centres.
- Facilitating the public’s access to sports training facilities and infrastructures
These priorities are built on the PH Action Plan. As a government, PH is also determined to realise these measures at the national level. Therefore, even the people of Bentong who are forced to reside in other states to earn a living can reap the benefits from our measures.
As one of the many potential representatives who is set to amplify women’s voices in the Parliament, this issue is close to my heart. – Nov 15, 2022
