Penang Reaffirms Commitment To 30 Per Cent Women On Boards

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Penang has reaffirmed its readiness to play a stronger role in advancing gender parity and diversity in corporate leadership, leveraging its status as home to many multinational and public-listed companies (PLCs).

State Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee Chairman Lim Siew Khim said the state’s commitment to gender equality is not merely a slogan, but a practical agenda reflecting Penang’s values of inclusivity, progress and shared prosperity.

“We recognise that Malaysia has made encouraging progress. Women now hold 29.3 per cent of board seats in PLCs overall and 34.6 per cent in the Top 100 PLCs.

“Penang has the talent, diversity and corporate presence to help achieve the national goal of 30 per cent women representation on boards. Our economy thrives on innovation and leadership teams that reflect a range of perspectives that strengthen governance and support sustainable growth,” she said at Shifting the Centre: 30% Club Malaysia Northern Debut, here today.

Lim noted that since 2019, the Penang State Government has implemented the Gender Inclusiveness Policy, incorporating gender considerations in decision-making, planning, budgeting and administration, and also practices Gender-Responsive and Participatory Budgeting to ensure public spending benefits women and promotes gender equity.

As home to 92 PLCs and thousands of private enterprises, Lim said Penang has an important role to play in this national journey, as it is a strategic hub for promoting gender-balanced leadership.

“The northern expansion of the 30% Club Malaysia is timely. It brings this important agenda closer to where business and talent are concentrated,” she said.

She emphasised that deliberate action is needed to create opportunities for women leaders, remove barriers and expand leadership potential, noting that gender equality benefits organisations, governance and society as a whole.

She said Penang’s strong talent pool, particularly in multinational corporations, provides an ideal environment to cultivate and showcase leaders of both genders, reinforcing the state’s commitment to building inclusive corporate leadership.

Meanwhile, 30% Club Malaysia Chair Nurul Ain Abdul Latif said this Northern debut builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2024 between 30% Club Malaysia, the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) and the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM).

“With PWDC as a key state partner, the collaboration aligns closely with Penang’s broader workforce development, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion priorities, ensuring that leadership diversity progresses in tandem with economic development. Penang is one of Malaysia’s most dynamic economic engines,” she said.

She added that by working closely with state partners and the business community here, it ensures that inclusive leadership is not just a national aspiration, but becomes part of how Penang continues to compete and innovate.

--BERNAMA