Women make up just 17.7% of Malacca election candidates

As nominations for the Malacca state election closed on 31 October, there were a total of 79 candidates from 12 political parties, with three candidates being independent.

Kempen Projek30% is moderately encouraged that women comprise 17.7% of all candidates in this state election. This is a slight improvement from 14.3% of candidates (16 of 112) in 2021. But it is well below the minimum 30% we are calling for and therefore not yet a breakthrough.

Women and girls make up about half the population. Yet we have only 13.5% women in the House of Representatives and 11.1% across all state legislative assemblies.

In fact, in the three most recent state elections (Sabah in November 2025, Johor in July 2026 and Negri Sembilan in August), we have gone backwards: from a total of 26 women in these state assemblies to now 19 – less women candidates were fielded.

Some parties showed that the 30% threshold is achievable. PKR nominated three women among its 10 candidates (30%). Amanah nominated two of seven (28.6%), while the MCA nominated one of four (25%). We congratulate their effort to provide fairer opportunities for women.

Women bring fresh and valuable perspectives shaped by their lived experiences, particularly on issues such as the cost of living, healthcare, childcare, welfare for older people, education, and safety and security.

But their voices remain significantly underrepresented in the institutions that shape laws and public priorities.

A minimum 30% representation is a practical step towards fairer participation and decisions that better reflect the experiences and needs of the whole community.

While encouraging and driving political parties to field more women candidates through public discourse and pressure is all well and good, it has not translated to real change. Our political parties need some form of top-down commitment to get them moving.

More than 70 countries around the world have enacted various forms of legal frameworks in their electoral systems that have expedited change. Today, these countries have in total, about 29% women in their national and regional legislatures.

Indonesia, Vietnam and Timor Leste all have some form of legislative intervention and they are way ahead of Malaysia in women’s representation in their respective legislatures.

It has been 31 years since the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – which Malaysia is a party to – called for equal representation of women in politics and decision-making bodies.

This is why Kempen Projek30% has proposed and submitted a gender parity in political representation bill (or akta Projek30%) to the government in June this year and has met several ministers, MPs and key stakeholders – all of whom have said they agree with the proposal.

In the last few months, the following calls have been made:

With growing calls from political leaders, civil society, subject matter experts and the public for a Projek30% law, the government can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines.

The demand is clear and the need is urgent. What is the ‘Madani’ (trustworthy) government waiting for?

Issued by Projek30% Core Team: Empower, Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) and Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC)