From Malaysiakini:
Fancy watching a Chinese opera in Malay?
Accordi
ng to Rodziah Ismail, the exco member for welfare, women affairs and science, technology and innovation (STI) and culture in Selangor, this may just be possible.In an interview, the Batu Tiga state representative and Wanita PKR deputy chief talked about her fondness for multi-racialism, aspirations for more scientists in the state and plans for the Orang Asli in Selangor.Can you tell us more about your portfolio?
I’m handling welfare, women affairs and science, technology and innovation, plus culture. For welfare we will take care of senior citizens and disabled people and provide assistance for those who fall below the poverty line. We’ll go through them one by one.
We found out that the previous government only dealt with welfare problems on a case-by-case basis when people come to the office to see them. We want to look into the state of welfare for Selangor as a whole but there is no database on this, no figures as to how much money has been given to the disabled and elderly.
Under the new state government, I want to make sure that all who are qualified to receive welfare will be included in a database and we’ll plan for them - how we will manage the disabled, senior citizens and the poor. Our long-term plan is to make sure these less fortunate people have an action plan so they can one day work or build a new life and improve their economic situation without needing the help from the state.
This is similar to women’s affairs. Before this, the previous government was reactive and dealt with problems as they came in. When single mothers came in, they would assist. What we’re planning for the women is two-fold: to empower women and to ‘balance’ the problems faced by women in rural and urban areas.
In the urban areas, the women are very sophisticated, IT-literate and economically sound but (face social) problems. Women in rural areas have fewer social problems but they have more economic or IT-based difficulties. So we have to narrow this gap.
On empowering women, we want them to know their rights and be more competitive. We want to give the women a bigger role. Previously there was no effort to understand gender problems or issues faced by working women. There weren’t any plans to encourage rural women to get involved with agribusiness. So we want to empower women in business, social life and other (areas).
We have problems with STI too. STI in Selangor is actually very broad but people are often confused, thinking its all about science and ICTs (information and communication technologies). No, it is not just about ICT or multimedia, it is much wider than that. Looking at rapidly developing countries, we can see that the growth of technology is very fast.
There are many technologies that we need to consider now like green technology...We need to guarantee that the technology that we implement and give to the people is sustainable. The technology must benefit the people.
I also have an addition to my portfolio - culture. People often think culture is dancing only but for me culture is also about history. Our challenge for the new state government is to make culture the bridge between the races. We have an action plan to set up exhibitions on a multi-racial platform.
Whatever I do for this culture portfolio, I will always focus on our multi-racial setting. Malaysia is not just about Malay heritage because if you look at the history, what unites us is our shared culture. For example in Malacca, the people who fought there were not just the Malays but the Chinese and Indian traders. They were together in fighting for their rights. We’ve had this in the past so it’s not something new.
I noticed that 90 percent of cultural events in the state are Malay-based. But if you look at the strata in Selangor, there are 55 percent Malays and 45 per cent non-Malays. The balance must be there. We can’t just focus on one section of the society. I will definitely mix the cultures when it comes to cultural and historical museums and I want it to be lively like museums overseas. I don’t want sad museums where people cannot relate to the presentation. Abroad, people love to visit museums. This means I will put the STI knowledge I have there to give visitors an experience they will never forget.
An idea for a cultural theatre has been proposed and I’ve talked to a few Chinese artistes and we think it is not a problem to make Chinese opera in Malay, for us to go there and understand what its all about. That’s why we don’t want our history to be forgotten. History is not just the past but the present because what we do now will make history in the future.
Do you see the stark contrast between your portfolios as a challenge in executing your work?
It’s manageable but the challenge is with STI because it does not deal with human errors. My department on welfare and women affairs deals with human problems but STI (involves) how the state is going to use and implement STI for society.
This portfolio is also not just about me but all the people surrounding me and using available resources, which I will have to tap. I will set up a think-tank, discuss the issues and get in all the experts. My challenges are so broad that I told my officer that my tasks will cover the ground right to the sky. (Laughs)
On the issue of innovation, we want to promote it well. In Singapore, if somebody says his or her ambition is to be a scientist, the government will support them. Scientists are very unique people. For them, it’s not like being a doctor or an engineer because a scientist’s mind works in amazing ways.
So why doesn’t this happen in Malaysia? It’s because when a person creates something, it is not promoted or patented. So now we want to patent creations and adopt the designs to develop the innovation industry. The state hopes to provide support to inventors within the ambit of sustainable technology.
When do you plan to set up the database for your welfare department?
The (current) database is not comprehensive and only has the number of those who actively seek help. So I am asking my officers to go to the ground and conduct a thorough census in the state.I am gathering the information currently, liaising with the welfare department and its branches to get some data. My master plan for all my portfolios will hopefully be reached within the next two months.
Will you also look into the plight of the Orang Asli?
Yes, we have them in mind. I’m also considering them in my culture portfolio. I have a team now to find out where the Orang Asli live and understand why they remain so poor.
There must be a reason why they choose to stay where they are based on their culture and heritage but that doesn’t mean we should allow them to remain poor.We can help modernise their lives while recognising their rights. I have planned to look into this and discuss the issues with their representatives.
What are your views about the Selangor having four women excos including yourself?
I feel good about this because this is equivalent to 40 percent when the world average is 30 percent. Looking back, there are four women because of their performance, background and credibility. I think if we qualify to serve in our respective departments, it does not matter if we’re men or women.But our challenge is proving that we’re better. We don’t want the four seats being held by women in the exco to be seen as any form of tokenism. We will perform and do our best for the people.
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