PENANG Pakatan Harapan (PH) is looking to field more women candidates in the next state election, but the question that persists is whether there are any takers.
Penang PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow said that the ruling coalition remains committed to its target of at least 30 per cent women's participation in politics and decision-making,
"However, the reality is whether any women are willing to participate in this process. It is a tough vocation," said Chow.
"This is certainly our aspiration. In every election, we will field women candidates, but the actual number will depend on whether there are enough suitable and willing candidates. While we aspire to have more females, there must first be enough candidates for us to choose from. That is an issue we need to address,” he said after officiating the World Women Economic and Business Summit 2026 today.
Chow, who is also Penang Chief Minister, said that despite women making significant progress in sectors such as education, business, engineering and public service, their participation in politics continued to face distinct challenges.
Penang PH, he said, had been proactive in supporting the 30 per cent target, but relatively few women were willing to step forward during the candidate selection process due to the pressures and challenges associated with political participation.
Earlier, Chow told the delegates that empowering women must go beyond discussion and translate into real economic participation, leadership and decision-making.
Chow said women already play a central role in Malaysia’s economy and will be even more crucial in shaping future growth as industries evolve.
He noted that Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate has reached a record 56.5 per cent, while women are leading around 242,000 micro and small enterprises nationwide. – June 15, 2026
