PENANG: The percentage of women representation in the Penang state assembly is lower than the previous term.

Only four women candidates won in the state election, making up only 10% in the 40-seat assembly.

They are: Lim Siew Khim, Phee Syn Tze, Heng Lee Lee and Connie Tan Hooi Peng.

Lim Siew Khim has also been appointed one of the ten executive councilors in charge of social development, welfare and non-Islamic affairs.

She represents 10% of the entire exco line-up while there were two women excos in 2018 – Chong Eng and Dr. Norlela Ariffin.

Both Chong Eng and Dr. Norlela were not fielded in the state election.

In 2018, a total of six women won in the previous state election, representing 15% in the Penang state assembly.

Chong Eng introduced the Top-Up Women-Only Additional Seats (TWOAS) White Paper to be distributed to state assemblymen, a preparatory step to table state constitution amendment bill and the non-constituency supplementary bill in 2022 to create the positions of non-constituency supplementary members.

The TWOAS initiative was introduced by the state government to ensure that there is 30% women representation in the state assembly.

However, the initiative has not made significant progress so far.