KUALA LUMPUR: The participation of women in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) is recorded at two per cent below the 10 per cent target set in the Defence White Paper, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said that women’s involvement in the MAF could be increased, particularly with the use of technology in the defence sector, which provides greater opportunities for them to join the country’s security forces.
“If we look at this aspect (technology adoption), through the Defence White Paper, we can achieve our target. Most importantly, we want to enhance efforts to promote women’s participation in the MAF,“ he said when replying to a supplementary question from Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas).
Adly added that this year, the ministry would conduct a review of the Defence White Paper, including the aspect of women’s participation, five years after its presentation in Parliament.
On the number of female military personnel, he said that as of Dec 31, a total of 9,550 women were serving in the MAF, comprising 6,574 in the army, 1,953 in the navy, and 1,023 in the air force.
Adly said 222 female personnel had served abroad on humanitarian missions, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, joint training with strategic partner nations, and military diplomatic assignments.
To date, he said, the MAF has carried out three international humanitarian missions involving 118 female personnel. These include the mission to evacuate injured Palestinians for treatment in Malaysia, which involved eight female personnel, representing 11 per cent of the 70 personnel deployed for the mission.
The Op STARLIGHT, which provided medical assistance to Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where 89 female personnel were deployed, making up 36 per cent of the total 245 personnel in the mission.
Additionally, Op STARLIGHT in response to the earthquake disaster in Türkiye involved 21 female personnel, accounting for 19 per cent of the 110 personnel deployed.
Adly also said that 85 female personnel had been deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
