A step towards a more balanced society

Currently, only 14.4% of Malaysia’s Members of Parliament are women, and none of its 13 states have achieved minimum 30% women’s representation in their respective legislative assemblies, with the closest being Perlis (26.7%), followed by Selangor (21.4%), Johor (16.1%) and Penang (15.0%). Photo: 123rf.com

Gender-related issues, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, child abuse, unwanted teenage pregnancies and others, often aren’t addressed because there isn’t sufficient women representation in parliament, says YB Chong Eng, Padang Lalang Penang state assemblyman and Penang government executive member.

According to Chong, men Members of Parliament rarely talk about such issues, and it’s the women in parliament who will raise these issues. And, sometimes, the men MPs will make fun of the issue when it’s raised.