Wong Kit Cheng, the first-ranked candidate of the electoral group Alliance for a Happy Home, says her group’s political platform puts special emphasis on policies to improve women’s rights and promote family-friendly policies in business.
Four years ago, Wong and lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, a vice-president of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (commonly known as Kai Fong), ran under the Progress Promotion Union (UPP) banner. Ho was the first-ranked candidate while Wong was ranked second. Both were elected then.
This year, Ho continues to lead the UPP electoral group while Wong leads the Alliance for a Happy Home (No. 11 on the ballot). Wong’s list comprises 10 candidates.
Wong spoke to The Macau Post Daily earlier this week at Macau Tower where she attended an event celebrating the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. The event was organised by the Macau Women’s General Association (commonly known as Fu Luen), of which Wong is a vice-president.
Wong, a nurse by profession, said her association decided to run as a separate group for the September 17 direct legislative election to place more emphasis on policies to improve women’s and children’s rights as well as to focus on promoting family-friendly policies in business. She pointed out that seven of her list’s 10 candidates are women.
Wong said her group was calling for five days paid paternity leave as well as for an increase in the number of days for statutory paid maternity leave.
Macau’s female employees in the private sector have the right to 56 days paid maternity leave, according to the Labour Relations Law.
When asked if her group was calling for 90 days paid maternity leave, as a number of other direct legislative election groups are doing, Wong said that, if re-elected, she would ultimately fight for the implementation of statutory 90 days paid maternity leave.
In addition to policies to improve women’s and children’s rights, Wong said her group’s political platform also covers economic development, medical services, education and youth employment, adding her group’s idea was Macau to be a “happy home for everyone”.
Wong also said she primarily focused on women’s rights when she joined the legislature four years ago, but that she gradually covered other issues during her first term as a lawmaker, such as housing, traffic and environmental protection.
Wong said her group aimed to win at least one seat.
The first-ranked candidate of the Alliance for a Happy Home, Wong Kit Cheng (right), and the second-ranked candidate, Loi I Weng, pose at Macau Tower earlier this week. Photo: Tony Wong
