No barriers for a woman to be PM - Tun M

A woman can become Prime Minister if she received the support from the people and her party, former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

There is no provision in the Federal Constitution that prevents a woman from taking the helm of leadership.

"It is not stated in the Federal Constitution that women are not allowed to be Prime Minister. In a democratic country, the voices of the majority counts. We can't prevent a woman from holding that post," he said at the Women Extraordinaire Forum (WEF) 2014 at Sime Darby Convention Centre in Bukit Kiara Wednesday.

"There's no objection in the constitution but it depends if she wins the majority votes and elected as party president. The she can become Prime Minister," Dr Mahathir explained.

Women, he said, make up the highest intake in universities, so it is no surprise if more women are taking leadership roles in the workforce.

"Women in Malaysia are lucky to be given roles in both public and private sectors, unlike certain countries. There is a large number of educated women in this country and many take up administrative roles in the government sector," he added.

Dr Mahathir, however, urged working mothers to strike a work-family balance and not neglect their children.