Perwakilan Wanita dalam Parlimen Malaysia: Analisis Perwakilan Deskriptif dan Substantif Berdasarkan Teori Pitkin (Women’s Representation in the Malaysian Parliament: An Analysis of Descriptive and Substantive Representation Based on Pitkin’s Theory)

Abstract

The increasing number of women serving in Parliament is frequently cited as a sign of democratic progress and gender inclusion in politics. However, the extent to which women’s presence translates into substantive representation of women’s interests is still unknown, especially in Malaysia’s partybased political system. This article examines women’s representation in Malaysian Parliament after the 13th General Election (GE-13), with a particular emphasis on the distinction between descriptive and substantive representation as defined in Hanna Pitkin’s Theory of Representation. This study adopts a qualitative approach, employing semi-structured interviews with five female Members of Parliament selected through purposive sampling. The data are analysed using thematic analysis guided by Pitkin’s theoretical framework. The findings reveal that while descriptive representation of women has shown an upward trend, substantive representation remains limited and conditional, shaped by party discipline, institutional structures, and parliamentary norms. This paper adds to the conversation about women and politics in Malaysia by shifting the focus away from numerical representation and toward a critical assessment of the actions, constraints, and limitations of substantive representation within a party-based political system.