‘Ministry will review allocation for councils without 30pc women councillors’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry will review allocations for local councils that fail to ensure women made up at least 30 per cent of its councillors.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said this would be a new condition in the Local Councils Grading System, which was being fine-tuned and would be implemented in the next two years.

“This is at the discussion stage to ensure that local councils have 30 per cent women among its 24 councillors.

“Once this is implemented, if the councils fail to meet the requirement, the ministry will review their allocations.

“I will fine-tune the conditions for all local councils,” she said after a Women’s Day event at Dewan Perdana Felda here yesterday.

Zuraida, who is Ampang member of parliament, said the requirement applied to all local councils nationwide, including those under opposition rule.

She said women made up an average of 14 per cent in local councils nationwide.

The one-day event, attended by about 300 members of non-governmental organisations, was organised by the National Council of Women’s Organisations.

The event was themed “Inspiring Hope, Driving Vision”, which aims to inspire and form women’s minds to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0.