DAP Pledges At Least 30 Pct Female Candidates For GE16, Says Loke

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- DAP is committed to fielding at least 30 per cent women candidates in the 16th General Election (GE16), in line with the party's efforts to strengthen gender equality and women's participation in politics.

Secretary-General Anthony Loke said the women's empowerment agenda must be pushed to the forefront of the party and not left solely to the Wanita wing.

He emphasised that it is a collective responsibility that all leaders, men included, must embrace. 

"At the 2023 National Congress, I made clear the party's commitment to field at least 30 per cent women candidates in PRU16. We are confident of reaching that target.

"We must continue with our progressive policies, actions, and initiatives," he said when officiating the DAP National Wanita Congress 2026 here today.

Meanwhile, at the same congress, DAP Wanita Chief Teo Nie Ching proposed setting up an incentive fund for female political representatives to encourage greater participation in national politics.

She said the proposal includes one-off campaign financing and annual allocations to political parties based on the number and percentage of women representatives who win seats.

"In the long term, DAP's Central Executive Committee also suggests that DAP Wanita urge the government to table a gender parity bill," she said.

Teo described such drastic measures as necessary, given that the percentage of women in Parliament remains low at just 13.51 per cent in GE15, down from 14.86 per cent in 2018.

"How much longer must we wait before we see women Members of Parliament in Malaysia reach at least 30 per cent?" she asked.

-- BERNAMA