Component parties within Pakatan Harapan (PH) have been urged to field more women candidates in the upcoming General Election and state elections.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said the current number of women MPs in the Dewan Rakyat has declined compared to the post-GE14 period.
She said PH, as the backbone of the MADANI government, must lead efforts to bridge the gap through electoral and institutional reforms.
She cited ASEAN data showing varying percentages of women parliamentarians, including Singapore at 32.3 per cent, Vietnam (34 per cent), Laos (29.7 per cent), the Philippines (28.3 per cent), Indonesia (22.1 per cent), Thailand (19.8 per cent), and Cambodia (13.6 per cent).
“In Malaysia, we only have 13.5 per cent women MPs, equivalent to 30 seats, making us the second lowest in ASEAN, just ahead of Brunei at 11.4 per cent,” she said during her speech at the PH Convention 2026 at the International Convention Centre Persada in Johor Bahru.
She urged PH component parties to increase the number of women candidates in both national and state polls.
She said the figures should not be seen as a source of embarrassment but as a warning sign that inclusivity efforts are regressing.
“Women are not just a quota filler, but leaders who bring fresh perspectives and social justice to Malaysian politics,” she added.
