Malaysia looks at women-only parliamentary seats to hit 30% quota
The Malaysian government is reviewing foreign models, including reserved seats for women, to boost female representation toward a 30% target.
In Kuala Lumpur, the government announced it is examining international approaches, such as allocating reserved seats for women, to raise female representation in the Dewan Rakyat. Minister Nancy Shukri emphasized that reaching the 30% benchmark requires political party leaders, who are all men, to grant women greater opportunities to run for office and assume leadership roles. She responded to supplementary questions from MP Saifuddin Abdullah about reviving the Gender Parity in Political Representation Bill, which has been dormant since 2018.
Deputy Minister Zaliha Mustafa pointed out that women occupy fewer than 11% of parliamentary seats, down from a previous high of about 14%. Shukri said the ministry will continue to explore solutions and work with women leaders across parties, while also promoting broader leadership development for women beyond politics.
Why it matters
Increasing women's parliamentary share could reshape Malaysia's policy landscape and promote gender equity.
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