Opinion: The time might be right for a woman prime minister

Opinion: The time might be right for a woman prime minister


19 Mar 2025 • 3:00 PM MYT


TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher

Photo Credit: Malay Mail


There is a theory that Barack Obama might have become the first black president of the United States, simply because the people were tired of white politicians.


The president before Obama, George W Bush had done such a horrible job in office, that when his term was up, the Americans simply decided to elect someone that did not remind them the least bit of him.


Barack Obama fit the bill on account of being black – the fact that he was black, caused him to have so little resemblance to George W Bush, that it probably gave him an edge against his contender John McCain, who despite being a war hero and much more experienced person, was also an older white male America, that might have resembled George W Bush in a way that was too close for comfort.


In the same way, we Malaysians might be so tired with the antics of our current and former Prime Ministers , that we might be ready for the first woman prime minister of the country.


I doubt that we are ready for the non-Malay Muslim prime minister of Malaysia just yet, but the entry of a woman prime minister might be just the breath of fresh air that we need, to encourage all the old corrupt politicians that populate our political landscape, to hang their boots and go play with their grandkids.


Since Ismail Sabri became our latest prime minister to be investigated by MACC, we now have 5 out 6 of our living prime ministers being on the wrong side of the law.


The track record that we have with our prime ministers are so abysmal, that only mafia and triad organizations can possibly rival it.


I am nowhere close to being a feminist – as a rule, if you were to ask me to choose between a male boss or a female boss, I will most likely choose a male boss - but even I have gotten so tired of seeing the pompous, debauched, degenerate and corrupt geriatric males wearing a crown and sitting on the throne room in Putrajaya, that I will most definitely vote for Nurul Izzah for the boss position, just to not see another old geezer in a position of power for at least a few years.


If Nurul Izzah is going to be PH's candidate for prime minister after Anwar, I think we might even be able to forgive Anwar for the Machiavellian antics that he has pulled and will likely keep on pulling until the end of his tenure.


We get it – Putrajaya is a swamp in Putrajaya and Anwar needs to do what he needs to do to drain it, so that his daughter will not have to put up with all the swamp creatures that he had to put up with.


Sure, if Nurul Izzah follows after Anwar, the accusation of nepotism and dynasty creation will likely follow Nurul Izzah, but I don’t think it will matter – between suffering from nepotism and being stuck with another old geezer for another 5 or 10 years, I would rather suffer from nepotism, hands down.


If instead of Nurul Izzah, PH decide to forward Rafizi as the successor of Anwar, then Anwar better pray that it is Muhyiddin that will be leading PN still, because if it is Dr Sam that helms PN, even I – a non-Malay non-Muslim – might be tempted to vote for Pas.


I don’t know why, but there is just something viscerally unlikeable about Rafizi. It is just not me personally by the way – everybody I have spoken to, regardless of race, religion or creed, can’t stand Rafizi's personality either.


What happened to the PADU database anyway? Is it on or is it gone? If it is gone, I am not surprised that it is gone, although Rafizi made a whole lot of noise about it, when he was in charge of it. Rafizi is not only lousy, in that he can’t get anything done, he has a penchant of saying the most tone deaf and irritating things too, in the way that reminds of the story of the Professor and the boatman.


The bloody professor can’t swim, and the only thing he is good at is in placing his plump behind on a boat that someday else rows, but still he can’t even keep his mouth shut and not annoy the boatman who has to row his plump behind across the river.


At the end of the story, the professor will drown when the boat leaks and sinks into the water. If you think about it, the boatman probably could have saved the professor if he wanted to – I think the boatman just didn’t see the point of going through that much trouble for saving a sedentary good for nothing know-it-all that talks like he can do everything, while belittling the boatman non-stop, when between the two of them, it was only the boatman that was doing anything useful.


I am not saying that PH cannot win with Rafizi at the helm, but if Rafizi is the one that succeeds Anwar, there is likelihood that voters, even the ones that are inclined to vote for PH, might start to entertain the thought will it really be that bad to not have PH in charge?


Anyway, it is probably a blessing in disguise that Nurul Izzah lost her seat in the last general election and we haven’t seen her for the last two years.


Absence makes the heart grow fonder, familiarity breeds contempt.


Had she not gone missing and was a part of her father’s team, under whose watch such things as Zahid getting his 47 DNAA’s and Musa Aman becoming the governor of Sabah and Najib's addendum conundrum happened, I doubt her decision to run for the VP post in the coming PK party election this May would have seemed like such a welcome news.


After Nurul Izzah returns, I also foresee Khairy making his move, and let us know what it is that he has planned for his future.


I think it is great that soon, it will be the likes of Nurul Izzah, Khairy and even Rafizi that will be taking the center stage in Malaysian politics.


If we can’t get a woman prime minister in her 40s or 50s, I think we at least should get a prime minister who is in their 40s and 50s.


Whatever it is, I think it is more than time for us to say, enough with the reign of the old generation of corrupt politicians!