Mahathir's daughter speaks up for women

Mahathir's daughter speaks up for women

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): The daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the appointment of a women's affairs minister was a good thing, but the new minister should be more outspoken in supporting modern women's rights.

Marina Mahathir, a prominent AIDS activist and outspoken newspaper columnist, said the new minister's statements suggest she believed in a traditional role for Malaysian women.

In January, Prime Minister Mahathir transformed the women's affairs department into a full ministry and promoted deputy minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to the rank of full minister.

But, following a meeting with Shahrizat last week, Mahathir's daughter is not convinced of the wisdom of the appointment.