Media statement by Teresa Kok Suh Sim in Shah Alam on Thursday, 3^rd June 2010:

6 new deputy ministers, 3 new senators and not one of them female! Najib's cabinet reshuffle shows utter contempt for women representation in government

For all the propaganda spouted by BN-owned media, it is plain as daylight that Najib Razak reshuffled his cabinet yesterday for the sole purpose of appeasing MCA and MIC's internal leadership problems, did nothing at all for the rakyat's interest, and nothing at all to increase women's representation in government.

The last point truly rankles because Malaysia ranks a deplorable 100 out of 134 countries in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index 2009. To add salt to the wound, Malaysia ranks even worse at female political empowerment at number 113 out of 134 countries, behind the likes of Lesotho, Botswana and Mongolia.

These rankings cannot be the 1Malaysia that Najib vaguely claims to be all-inclusive and non-discriminatory when he has chosen not to appoint a single new female into leadership positions in government. Not even one to fill the vacancy left by Chew Mei Fun when she resigned.

Instead, Najib has chosen to fill appoint even more men into government leadership and further raised the male-female ratio disparity by creating two new deputy minister posts which he again filled with men.

The silence and apathy by BN component party leaders towards this gender divide is glaring. Ng Yen Yen, who was chief of Wanita MCA until 2008, and formerly Women, Family and Community Development Minister as well, has yet to raise a peep in protest of Najib's disregard and zero commitment to increasing the number of women in positions of leadership in government.

Another issue on the cabinet reshuffle is how the appointment of young politician Chua Tee Yong, son of Chua Soi Lek, as a deputy minister reeks of nepotism. Chua Tee Yong is but a first-term MP who was elected not on his own steam but by taking over Labis constituency formerly held by his father for four terms. Thus, Chua Tee Yong's appointment appears to be compensation for his father's conspicuous absence in the Cabinet and Parliament.

Furthermore, I question the ever-changing post of Minister for Housing and Local Government, typically held by MCA, which has been switched several times since 2008. This instability has created a lack of follow-up on the issues and laws related to housing industry which adversely affects the people. I can only hope that Chua Chee Heung will not further disappoint the people now that he is taking over the ministry.

With such dubious and unrepresentative appointments in this cabinet reshuffle, Najib has further betrayed the wishes of the rakyat as evident in the 2008 election results and further denied women, who make up 50% of the electorate, their due right to proportional representation in government. This lack of female representation in government, as perpetuated by Najib, is an inexcusable step backward for Malaysia and gives good reason to believe his 1Malaysia is mere political rhetoric.

* Teresa Kok Suh Sim, DAP National Organizing Secretary & MP for Seputeh