Although the curtain has fallen on the MCA elections, "storms in the teacup" continue to be brewing.

In the recent general assembly, there were Wanita MCA delegates slamming the Youth for its poster said to be showing disrespect for the women.

It is a highly subjective matter whether the poster in question has shown disrespect for women. However, the issue was raised not purely because "some people have been oversensitive," as in the words of newly elected Youth chief Wee Ka Siong, but should have something to do with the Youth's proposal to recruit female members.

When expressing his political psychology during the election campaign, Wee suggested that MCA Youth recruit female members, which should see young women uninterested in joining Wanita to come under the Youth banner.

But that was not what Wanita MCA thought, and the proposal was seen as one that would dilute Wanita's political power as well as party resources.

Having said that, there are facts that Wanita cannot afford to overlook: the low percentage of party members below the age of 35 and the ageing of party membership, which have something to do with what Wanita MCA has been practising all this while.

Over the years Wanita's scope has remained very much confined to issues related to women and children welfare while most of its activities have been recreational in nature. Even though the new Wanita chief Chew Mei Fun has seen the problems and pledged to implement a series of reforms in a bid to reinvent the Wanita image, she needs full coordination from party members and the goals may not be achieved overnight.

Do young Chinese women who are keen to join politics but not Wanita MCA deserve an alternative choice, as Wanita is going through a transitional period?

Looking around us, the phenomenon of gender neutrality has become increasingly visible. Many women are not only dressed neutral, they also have very similar mindsets as men: they are concerned about politics, economy and major global issues (war and environment), and are hardly lured by flower arrangement or cooking activities.

Due to its "overly conventional" stereotyped image, Wanita MCA is becoming increasingly less attractive to the new generation of young Chinese women. Moreover, women with excessively radical minds may find themselves sidelined in pure female organisations, thwarting whatsoever political ambitions that they may have.

With this in mind, why not allow these women to have a platform of political participation, which should be broad-based and established upon the foundation of gender equality? This will allow them an opportunity to compete fairly with others based on their capability.

The Malaysian politics is still very much a male-dominated area. While the above objective may sound a little idealised, someone must make out the first step.

Of course, that doesn't mean Wanita must go through a complete facelift without caring for the feelings of veteran members.

Before Wanita can successfully undergo the long overdue transformation, perhaps the Youth wing should be allowed to open its doors to these aspiring young women. (By YANG LIQIN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)