MALAYSIA has surpassed the target to have women hold 30% of decision-making positions in the public sector.

Foreign Ministry secretary-general Ramlan Ibrahim said currently, 35.8% of such positions are held by women.

“Malaysia has surpassed the 30% target by having women hold 35.8% of decision-making positions in the public sector,” he said while presenting his opening statement at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Malaysia before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Responding to criticism that Putrajaya is sidelining women, he said there are initiatives in place to empower the group, including revising and updating the National Policy on Women.

“At the same time, under the 11th Malaysia Plan, the National Policy on Women and National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women have been further strengthened.”

The government is also looking after the welfare of children, and this is evident in its move to set the minimum marriageable age at 18 following several cases of child marriage this year.

“The government has issued a directive for the minimum marriageable age to be set at 18,” said Ramlan, adding that Putrajaya is also keen to address the issue of statelessness, especially concerning children.

One such way, he said, is by making it compulsory for every child born in Malaysia to be registered.

“The new government has adopted a policy that all newborns in Malaysia, regardless of their parents’ nationality or legal status, should have access to formal birth registration procedures and birth certificates.”

Additionally, the National Registration Department (NRD) has launched mobile teams to record births in remote areas.

“NRD has conducted several programmes, including dispatching mobile registration teams to remote areas nationwide for parents there to have access to the facility,” said Ramlan.

Malaysia is presenting its report on the UPR relating to human rights tonight. – November 8, 2018.