MP SPEAKS | Time to inject maternal traits in political leadership

MP SPEAKS | A few days after this year’s Mother’s Day, I announced the launching of a new website, Mothering, in honour of all mothers in the country.

Ever since then, I have been inundated with queries about why I launched the website and what role being a “mother” has in our country’s political leadership.

My simple answer: A lot.

I am a mother as well as a politician. Both roles require patience, tenacity, sensitivity and the skills to juggle varied and sometimes competing interests. But right now, political leadership the world over, including in Malaysia, is heavily dominated by men.

Men and women approach politics quite differently. Studies have shown that...