PBT required to have at least 30% women councillors

PUTRAJAYA: Local government authorities are required to appoint women to make up at least 30 percent of their councillors, said Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.

The move, she said, would be in line with the government’s effort to empower the role of women at the ministry and and in local government authorities (PBT).

She said currently, women only made up 14 percent of councillors in local government authorities, with the highest in Selangor at 22 percent.

“At present, each PBT has 24 council members. So, to make yp that 30 per cent, each PBT must have at least seven women councillors,” he told a media conference here yesterday.

She said all PBTs should adhere to the requirement to obtain the five-star rating in the grading system.

In doing so, he said, it would be in line with the international standards as set by, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“PBT council members are political appointees. Now, with PH taking over (administration) , it is now in the process of making new appointments,” she said,.

On the empowerment of youths, she said all PBTs were also required to each have a line-up of youths to be known as ‘Local Youth Mover’.

“Every youth will be given a chance to develop the community in their respective areas and to play their role in PBT by providing ideas and suggestions,” she added.

Earlier, Zuraida received contributions, totalling RM1.2 million, from three private companies for Tabung Harapan Malaysia. - Bernama