The 9 May 2018 elections brought the first change of government in Malaysia after 61 years. Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) led the orientation of the newly elected MPs and a round-table on future reforms chaired by the Speaker. The new government vowed to ‘Restore the Dignity of Parliament’ in its manifesto Promise 16 which had paved way for parliamentary reforms. In this context and drawing on internal and external expertise, WFD is working with the Malaysian parliament to embed institutional reforms.

These reforms aim to strengthen parliament at the centre of the country’s political life and make it relevant to the people it serves. The reform-focused interventions of WFD include enhancing capacity of the Parliamentary staff to support Members, providing technical support and guidance to the newly formed parliamentary committees and establishing accountable and inclusive parliamentary processes and systems.

The inclusion of women’s participation in politics is also an area that is continuing to develop in the country. As part of the broader Commonwealth Partnership for Development (CP4D) initiative, WFD is working with a local CSO to promote gender equality in Sabah and creating linkages with other CSOs as they develop advocacy strategies to raise awareness about gender issues. Low political representation of women, only 10% in the State Legislative Assembly, is a key driver of WFD’s work in Sabah.