KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Three decades ago, when Lily (not her real name) boarded the UK-bound flight to further her studies, she never thought she was saying goodbye to Malaysia...
KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Three decades ago, when Lily boarded the UK-bound flight to further her studies, she never thought she was saying goodbye to Malaysia as her home forever.
Lily is one of the 1.86 million Malaysian women living overseas, according to the latest figures by the United Nations. While the figure may not seem overly high, it is roughly equivalent to 12 per cent of Malaysia’s total female population of 15.6 million. “Women migrating doesn’t mean they’re not coming back, right? But if there are discriminatory policies in place in the country that prevent them from coming back, the government should be concerned,” she said.
“Some people say that most women are migrating to follow the husband. At the same time, I strongly believe there are women who decided to migrate because their skills are more appreciated somewhere else,” said Farid Basir, vice president of the Malaysian Employers Federation .Interspersed among the reasons listed, is the issue of gender discrimination, where escaping it may be, is a major contributor to women’s migration numbers.
Unit for Research on Women and Gender member, Professor Noraida Endut at Universiti Sains Malaysia told Bernama the trend is concerning, especially if it means the women left home because they did not have enough opportunities here. MEF’s Farid, who is also the Chief People Officer at MBSB Bank, said there is a disconnect between the labour participation rate and the high number of female degree-holders.
As of Sept 29, 2021, only 14.9 per cent or 33 out of the 22 seats at the Dewan Rakyat were held by women Members of Parliament , while women holding decision-making positions in the public sector accounted for 38.2 per cent. Women representation in the top 100 public limited companies' board of directors stood at 25.8 per cent.For some women, discrimination may not be the reason they left. But it is certainly why they decided to stay away.
She is one of the litigants in the landmark Family Frontiers case, currently on appeal. It saw the Malaysian High Court rule that Malaysian mothers have the right to pass on Malaysian citizenship to any children born overseas. The Court of Appeals will render their judgement on June 22. On top of that, costs in Malaysia are higher for non-citizens, including healthcare and education. This means Malaysian mothers would have to pay more for their non-citizen children if they decide to return and settle in the country.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Police say jealousy may be among motives for shooting of pregnant woman | The Malaysian InsightKelantan acting police chief asks public not to speculate on motive of woman’s murder.
Read more »
India rushes to quell outrage after insulting remarks on IslamMUMBAI, June 6 — India’s government sought today to calm anger at home and abroad after two officials of the ruling BJP party made remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, with 38...
Read more »
Flick seeks German improvement against ‘extraordinary’ EnglishBERLIN, June 6 — Germany’s coach Hansi Flick said today that his team would need to improve against England’s “extraordinary players” in a Nations League clash in Munich...
Read more »
PM says GST return only under review now, not yet a done dealKUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob sought to allay public anxiety over the return of the controversial goods and services tax (GST) to bolster...
Read more »
Kelantan police: Jealousy might be motive for fatal shooting of pregnant woman in Pasir MasMACHANG, June 5 — Police believe that jealousy could be among the motives for the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman whose body was found in a car by the roadside in Kampung...
Read more »
Russia’s Rusal launches legal action against Rio Tinto over alumina refinery, says reportSYDNEY, June 6 — Russian aluminium producer Rusal has launched legal action against Rio Tinto seeking to restore access to its 20 per cent share of the alumina produced at a...
Read more »