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STATEMENT BY
THE HONOURABLE MR. NUR JAZLAN MOHAMED
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
ON
AGENDA ITEM 28 (A): ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
AND
AGENDA ITEM 28 (B): IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTCOME OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND OF THE TWENTY-THIRD SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AT THE THIRD COMMITTEE OF THE
66TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 11 OCTOBER 2011
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Argentina on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the statement made by Malaysia on behalf of the ASEAN member countries on the agenda item under consideration. We would also like to express our utmost appreciation to the various experts for the presentation of the reports.
Mr. Chairman,
Women in Malaysia have actively contributed towards the development of the country since independence. Over the past decades, significant improvements have been made in the status of women and in gender mainstreaming. The significant economic progress made in the last decades was possible, due to the greater participation of women in the development process. The educational attainment of women is at all time high, their participation in the labour force has increased and legislation that grant equal opportunities for women and respect for their rights has been adopted in Malaysia. Particularly encouraging is the progress made by women in many key areas such as education, health, employment, and participation in power - sharing and in the decision-making processes.
Addressing women’s concerns in a manner that acknowledges their changing and multiple socioeconomic roles within a rapidly changing economic environment is a challenging and continuing task. Changes in the legal and institutional frameworks have also been made to protect, preserve and safeguard their rights and further improve their status. In Malaysia, the National Policy on Women formed the basis for efforts to fully integrate women in the nation’s development. The main objectives of this policy are to ensure an equitable sharing in the acquisition of resources, information, opportunities and benefits of development for men and women. The National Social Policy was officially adopted by the Government in 2003 to further enhance the creation of a progressive and established Malaysian society, with every member having the opportunity to develop his or her optimum potentials in a healthy social environment, based on the qualities of unity, resilience, democracy, morality, tolerance, progress, care, fairness and equity.
Mr. Chairman,
In this regard, Malaysia appreciates the Secretary-General’s Report on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Report on Improvement of Situation of Women in Rural Areas. Both reports highlight several predominant obstacles faced by women in many countries in the world, which include poverty, continuing gender disparities in access to and control over resources, gender-bias macroeconomic policies and volatile food prices. Malaysia also welcomes the call by the Secretary-General in the reports to strengthen women’s participation and leadership, particularly in rural institutions which will enhance their access to productive inputs and support services.
Malaysia is very much cognizant of our obligations as a signatory to CEDAW and pledges made to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. Malaysia is committed to realizing women’s rights as human rights. To achieve this goal, changes in our legal and institutional frameworks have been made to protect, preserve and safeguard the rights and improve the status of women in all areas.
Malaysia is pleased to inform that we hosted the inaugural First Lady Summit in Kuala Lumpur in October 2010 and successfully adopted a Declaration entitled ‘A Child Today A Leader Tomorrow’. The Declaration was circulated as UN Document A/65/774 dated 8 March 2011. Whilst the summit provided the platform to advocate initiatives for the betterment of the younger generation, it was also the avenue, which brought together First Ladies from around the world to highlight the importance of investing in the holistic education and welfare of women and children, with the aim of developing exceptional future leaders from all sections of society. From the encouraging responses, and as a continued effort to further pursue the cause for women and children from around the world, Malaysia is prepared to host the next summit in 2012. We hope that First Ladies from member states would support this noble effort in the promotion of the status of women globally.
Mr. Chairman,
The Government of Malaysia is committed in eradicating violence against women. The issue of violence against women is a priority for the Government of Malaysia, and we take no tolerance towards it. We continue to undertake a holistic approach to this matter, including removing impunity and prosecuting those who commit violence, as well as protecting and rehabilitating victims. Various initiatives have been taken in line with Malaysia’s commitment to empower women, safeguard their rights and protect their dignity. In addressing this issue, the Domestic Violence Act 1994 was reviewed and the Penal Code was amended to provide greater deterrence to domestic and sexual-related offences.
In addressing the issue of advancement of women, Malaysia welcomes and appreciates the work and the continued support of the many women NGOs. Their wealth of experience and inputs have greatly contributed to the informed decisions and the planning and formulation of policies on women and development in Malaysia. We hope that such cooperation and partnership will be sustained for the achievement of our common goal. Malaysia will continue to work with all stakeholders and support the international and regional initiatives in making this world a better place for women and all humanity.
Mr. Chairman,
Malaysia recognizes the changes in the socio-cultural environment, which have helped shape the profile of Malaysian women today. As Malaysia evolves from a subsistence agricultural economy to a knowledge based economy, women will continue to be a primary force in influencing the development of future generations of Malaysians, as well as an important economic resource. Hence, Malaysia is proud to highlight our value-added people-oriented development policies, so that women, who constitute half of the nation's population, can contribute and realize their potentials to the optimum. This is also Malaysia’s aspiration and focus to promote the principle of social inclusion, to integrate women in all sectors of development in accordance with their capabilities and needs, in order to enhance the quality of life, eradicate poverty, and ensure a peaceful and prosperous nation.
I thank you Mr. Chairman.