“To Denigrate an Adversary, We Assign Unfavourable Labels to Them”: The Political Challenges Among Chinese Women in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

The experiences among women in Malaya have led them to act as agents of social change, forcing them to confront colonizers and foreign occupations that successfully ignited their spirits to bring about changes in society and the country. Women’s experiences in Malaysia differ from those in other countries who have struggled for political rights, such as the right to vote - as seen through the Western women’s suffrage movement. Therefore, women’s experiences vary depending on various multidimensional aspects. A plural society with multifaceted factors such as ethnicity, religion, and culture has provided different experiences to each individual, including in the political context. We discuss the challenges faced by Chinese women in politics in Peninsular Malaysia. We assert that these political challenges have affected women’s involvement in politics, which is still perceived to be low - evident through the number of Chinese women in the Parliament, State Legislative Assemblies (DUN), and decision-making levels within political parties. Although a 30 percent quota system for women has been implemented in parties that frequently receive support from the Chinese community in Malaysia, specifically the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), women have not been able to meet this quota. We employed a qualitative approach by conducting intensive interviews with ten informants, including Chinese female political representatives as primary informants, male politicians, academics, and activists from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). We untangle that the political challenges faced by Chinese women in Peninsular Malaysia consist of gender competition, cronyism, political interest, time management issues, racial sentiments, sexist statements, male domination, political rivals, and political ideologies. The political challenges intersect and clash as outlined by the intersectionality theory, thereby affecting the political participation of Chinese women in Peninsular Malaysia.