Lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the menteri besar has always been male for this reason despite there being no specific clause excluding a woman from holding the post, the New Straits Times today reported him as saying.
"This is because should a woman menteri besar suffer from 'uzur sharie' (period), there will be many obstacles for her to accompany the sultan at religious functions.
"Hence, the article under the Selangor constitution, for example, may not hinder a woman from becoming a menteri besar, but by convention, there could be problems because of the said circumstances," Hafarizam said.
The article also said that Wan Azizah might not be able to perform religious obligations, even though she qualifies under the Selangor constitution which states that an MB must be “a member of the Malay race and profess the Muslim religion”.
The English daily also quoted International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz who agreed with Hafarizam, saying that it was impractical to have a woman MB.
"There is no specification in the state laws that does not allow for a woman to be the menteri besar. The main requirements are for the candidate to be Muslim and Malay,” said Shamrahayu.
“But we also have to take into account sensitivities and taboos in society, as well as whether we are ready for a female menteri besar.” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment