Groups Urge Terengganu To Improve Women Only Seats Provision In State Assembly

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Two organisations advocating increasing women's legislative representation have highlighted Terengganu's opportunity to improve its status from 3.1 percent - the lowest in all 13 states - to 13.9 percent.
Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) and think-tank Bait Al Amanah - supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives - today released a report with findings and recommendations for the Terengganu government to enhance Article 27(2) of the State Constitution, previously amended in 2003.
In conjunction with International Women's Day, the groups recommended the state government allocate four appointed seats under Article 27(2) as Women Only Additional Seats or permanent reserved seats for women, even when there are one or more elected women assemblypersons.
"Allocating the four appointed seats to parties based on their vote share in the last state election by the Party-List Proportional Representation method, underlining the commitment of PAS and Perikatan Nasional for multiparty representation.
"For the inaugural batch, based on the 2023 state election result, this entails three seats for PN and one for BN," said the groups.
The provision introduced during the tenure of former Terengganu menteri besar Abdul Hadi Awang allows the naming of four women or non-Muslims as appointed state assemblypersons if no candidate from either group is elected.
Terengganu’s first female state legislator since 1974 Zuraida Md NoorAfter the amendment, it took another 15 years before Hadi's successor, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, nominated then-38-year-old Zuraida Md Noor as Terengganu’s first female state legislator since 1974.
"Zuraida gained recognition for her calibre, leading to her candidature for and winning of the N15 Ladang seat in 2023, becoming the state assembly's precious 3.1 percent (women representation)," said the groups.
"However, the Terengganu state assembly has stayed stagnant at 3.1 percent.
"Four more women-appointed representatives can be appointed to raise 3.1 percent (1/32) to 13.9 percent (5/36) but all four seats have to go to the non-Muslims under Article 27(2).
"Incidentally, non-Muslims constitute only two percent of Terengganu’s electorate," said the groups.
The groups added that their proposal would also ensure non-Muslim and youth representation in the four appointed seats by requiring parties to nominate a non-Muslim person and a youth amongst the first two candidates on their respective lists. - Mkini

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