Despite women making up the majority of registered voters in Malaysia with 10,622,151 or 50.3% in the 15th General Election (GE15) some 2 years ago, women’s representation in our country remained low.
As shared by Bridget Welsh, in GE15 itself, only 127 candidates were women, a mere 13.5% of all the candidates fielded. Furthermore, the number of female candidates who won and became Members of Parliament (MPs) dropped from 33 in GE14 to only 30 in GE15.
Women’s representation in the Cabinet
The unity government cabinet after the reshuffle last year
Meanwhile, women’s representation in the Cabinet has remained the same since GE14, with Tun Dr Mahathir’s, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri’s and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administrations all having 5 female Ministers in various roles.
Do note that while there are many female Deputy Ministers, the positions are technically not considered part of the Cabinet. Here are the 5 Ministers who are women in the current Unity Government:
- Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said – Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform)
- Fadhlina Sidek – Minister of Education
- Hannah Yeoh – Minister of Youth and Sports
- Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri – Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
- Dr Zaliha Mustafa Ali – Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories)
The all-male Terengganu State Executive Council (Exco) lineup
Terengganu exco lineup since 2023
However, the most glaring example of the lack of women’s representation in Malaysian politics has got to be the Terengganu State Government after the 2023 State Elections. Get this, all 11 of the Terengganu State Executive Council (Exco) lineup, including the Menteri Besar (MB), are male.
Yes, this includes the individual in charge of women’s affairs, which is Ajil assemblyperson Maliaman Kassim, whose official portfolio name is the “State Exco for Welfare, Women’s Development, Family and National Unity”.
Maliaman kassim, terengganu exco for welfare, women’s development, family and national unity
PN/PAS’ sole woman candidate in the 2023 State Elections
Ladang assemblyperson, zuraida md noor
Thankfully, the deputy Exco for the portfolio is a woman, Ladang assemblyperson Zuraida Md Noor. It is worth noting that Zuraida is the only female candidate that PAS, under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, fielded in the historic 2023 Terengganu State Election which saw them sweeping all 32 seats in the state.
Moreover, not only did PAS sweep the 2023 Terengganu State Election in Terengganu but they also did so in a state that recorded the highest voter turnout during the 2023 State Elections with 74.79%.
A rose among the thorns, it is quite odd that the position of Welfare, Women’s Development, Family and National Unity Exco was not given to Zuraida, as after all, she was the only sole woman in the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
Pas/pn’s candidates for the 2023 terengganu state elections
No woman has ever been appointed Exco in Terengganu
Well, it is peculiar until you realise that Maliaman’s predecessor in that position was also a man. Previously, when PAS became the State Government post-GE14 in 2018, Wan Hanafiah was appointed the Exco for Women’s Affairs.
Furthermore, throughout the history of the Terengganu State Government, no woman has ever been appointed as an Exco in the state!
This has been the case for all of the state administrations since the first Terengganu DUN in 1959 under Perikatan, Barisan Nasional from 1969 to 1999, Barisan Alternatif from 199 to 2004, Barisan Nasional from 2004 to 2013 and PAS from 2018 until now.
Cukai assemblyperson, wan hanafiah
How about other states?
As for the current position of Exco for Women’s Affairs or its equivalent in other states, one other territory stood out alongside Terengganu for appointing a man in the position, which is Sabah.
Having special autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the Sabah Government like Sarawak, doesn’t have an Executive Council but a Cabinet. Furthermore, Sabah also currently doesn’t have any specific Minister position for women’s affairs, with it being lumped under its Ministry of Community Development and People’s Wellbeing, the Minister of which is man, Sugut assemblyperson Datuk James Ratib.
Sugut assemblyperson, datuk james ratib
Similarly, the current Penang State Government also doesn’t have a specific Exco position for women’s affairs, with it being under the purview of the Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs portfolio. The Penang Exco for this is a woman, Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Lim Siew Khim.
Here’s the list of all Excos (Ministers for Sabah and Sarawak) for women’s affairs or its equivalent in each state:
- Sabah – Datuk James Ratib
- Sarawak – Dato Sri Hajah Faimah Abdullah
- Kedah – Halimaton Shaadiah Saad
- Perlis – Wan Badariah Wan Saad
- Terengganu – Maliaman Kassim
- Kelantan – Rohani Ibrahim
- Perak – Dato’ Salbiah Mohamed
- Selangor – Anfaal Saari
- Negeri Sembilan – Noorzunita Begum Abdullah
- Pahang – Dato’ Sabariah Saidan
- Melaka – Kalsom Noordin
- Johor – Khairin Nisa
- Penang – Lim Siew Khim
For illustration purposes
Given that Malaysia is ranked 102nd out of 146 countries in the latest Global Gender Gap Report, the second lowest in Southeast Asia, let’s hope that women’s representation in Malaysian politics see an improvement in the future.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Share them with us in the comments!
