I have two comments.

The first pertains to the comment allegedly made by Professor Koh Tai Ann that 'few men would be willing to make the sacrifices as the lesser half of a woman PM'. The suggestion is that being the spouse of a prime minister, whether male or female, means being the lesser half.

While it is true that being the spouse of the prime minister does mean being an adornment on various occasions, and perhaps having to deal with considerable invasion of privacy, this does not and cannot mean the spouse is the lesser half. Many spouses of prime ministers have led successful careers and continue to do so. They are recognised as leaders in their own right, albeit in the business world. A look at the spouses of some Singapore leaders, past and present, clearly proves this comment wrong.

The second comment pertains to the statement that the Singapore woman is reluctant to sacrifice family life to climb the political ladder. This implies that women in business are willing to sacrifice family life to climb the commercial ladder. My point is simply that to become CEO of a company involves considerable time and effort as well, certainly no less than that to become a politician. But neither being CEO nor being prime minister need be done at the expense of family life.

I do not intend to belittle the enormous amount of time politicians spend on affairs of state, however big or small. But a little planning, building appropriate support and a spouse who is an equal partner on the home front can help one succeed, whether in politics or the business world. Never underestimate the male species' ability to play second fiddle well, yet be a greater man.

It is certainly possible for Singapore to have the equivalent of former Israel prime minister Golda Meir or former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, maybe not in the next five years, but soon enough. What is necessary is for forums to discuss issues positively and look for ways to identify the best individual to lead the country without engaging in self-deprecation.

Kala Anandarajah (Ms)