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| THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRES ME |
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| Which female icon do you look up to? Our woman leaders speak about their icons. |
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DATUK SERI NG YEN YEN
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen’s female icons are former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Soong Ching-Ling, wife of Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen and the first non-royal woman official head of state of China. “I admire both because one is the epitome of toughness and strong will, and the other is of a gentler, feminine strength that was just as powerful. I admire Thatcher because she was able to survive in a man’s world, and brave enough to make changes despite the great opposition she faced. I think she was actually lonely in the face of what she had to do, with only her family to support her. I admire Ching Ling because she was the epitome of femininity and gentleness, and yet she stood by the love of her life and concentrated on her duties. She was surrounded by so many push and pull factors. One is from the West, and the other from the East, and both were able to stand by their beliefs despite populist pressures. They truly are my icons.” |
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DATUK AMBIGA SREENEVASAN
The immediate past president of the Malaysian Bar Council, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s personal icon is Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer and human rights activist. Also the founder of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran, Shirin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights in 2003. “Championing human rights’ causes and risking her own safety to do so , she epitomises today’s woman of courage who is no longer prepared to remain silent on human rights’ abuses no matter what the consequences to her. She has famously said ‘Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every
religion and every civilisation’.”
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