Malaysia wants more women in top corporate posts

Malaysia’s government announced yesterday that the corporate sector must have at least 30-per-cent women’s representation at boardroom level in five years’ time.

Prime Minister Najib Razak says the new policy is a landmark decision by the Cabinet that will bolster the role of women. He says women currently account for 8 per cent of top posts in some 200 listed companies and 6 per cent in financial institutions.

“The government acknowledges that women are important for the development and well-being of the country,” he told a news conference attended by ministry officials and female corporate figures. “This policy will be a catalyst for affirmative action towards achieving gender equality in the corporate sector.”

The move is an extension of a similar government policy introduced in 2004 for the public sector, which saw a spike in women’s participation from 18.8 per cent that year to 32.3 per cent last year. Agencies

Source : Today Online