Herculean task ahead for first-ever woman counter-terrorism chief

MP SPEAKS | A buzz of excitement on social media took over Valentine’s Day messages as Malaysia lit up with the announcement of the first-ever female counter-terrorism chief Normah Ishak made by the Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador yesterday.

Normah Ishak’s appointment comes as a break in the clouds as she shares the stage with the many brilliant women of integrity, courage and righteousness and her duty to king and country comes after a list of many other women who would become game-changers in enforcement, judiciary and the government.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail became the first female deputy prime minister in the history of the country on May 10 2018. This landmark swearing-in was followed by the appointment of the nation’s first-ever female Chief Justice of Malaysia Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who ascended to the highest judicial position in the country in May 2019. 

In June 2019, Malaysia saw the appointment of the country’s first female chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Latheefah Koya and following that was the appointment of the first-ever Children’s Commissioner Noor Aziah Awal in August 2019. In December 2019, the nation again saw the first-ever female president of the Court of Appeal Rohana Yusuf ascending to hold office and whose swearing-in took place in front of Tengku Maimun.

On Feb 1 Nor Salwani Muhammad was conferred the title ‘Datuk’ by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong as an icon for courage and heroism who had saved the original audit report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad Bhd (1MDB) and had kept a recording of the meeting that was alleged to have made amendments to the 1MDB audit report.

What is important to note here is such accreditations and institutional reforms are taking place after Pakatan Harapan was mandated by the people to govern the nation after being under over 60 years of abuse of power, corruption and a morally bankrupt government. Institutional reform will definitely take time as systems and practises have been institutionalised for decades – mere months to recalibrate and reform is simply an upheaval task.

But with political will and also with the right person in the right position, these reforms will definitely take their due course.

This year, Normah Ishak’s name will be etched in history as the first female to take on the reins of one of the most powerful units in the Royal Malaysian Police.

She has a colossal task ahead of her as Malaysia awaits with bated breath of Malaysian terrorists who fought alongside militant terror groups abroad, particularly the Middle East, amidst public opinion that they should not be brought back to Malaysia. 

Another crucial task awaits her as well – the review of the "terror list" by the Home Affairs Ministry which should take place every six months. Under the list, the LTTE still remains as a terrorist organisation although it has been removed from the list of other countries including the European Union court.

Wanita DAP and Wanita Pakatan Harapan extend our message of congratulations and best wishes to Normah Ishak and our solidarity and support as the first female counter-terrorism chief in Malaysia in her duty to crush extremism, radicalism and terrorism in the country and in the region.

KASTHURI PATTO is MP for Batu Kawan, international secretary for Wanita DAP, member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for Gender Equality and Family Development and secretary for Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), Malaysia.

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