Zuraida also expressed hope that at least 30% of the line-up selected by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will comprise of women to enable more female-friendly policies to be adopted.

“Currently, there are only nine women MPs in Perikatan Nasional. So it may not be easy to achieve the 30% quota.

“The Cabinet needs women to be there to understand what women’s needs are.

“However, the 30% quota (in the Cabinet) can be achieved through appointments such as from among senators and so on,” she said after attending the 2020 International Women’s Day celebration organised by Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM) “Go Red For Women” here today.

She was confident that women MPs in the country were more than capable of holding their own in the new Cabinet line-up.

Also present were YJM’s “Go Red For Women” director Ainon Kuntom, YJM honorary treasurer Dr Aljafri Abdul Majid and YJM medical director Dr Liew Yin Mei.

Meanwhile, Zuraida, who was former housing and local government minister, said the government should also focus on the welfare of elderly women by setting specific policies for the group.

“I want to see Malaysia build ‘old folks villages’ so that senior citizens can lead a more quality lifestyle.

“They should be able to interact with one another in a comfortable manner and carry out activities together.

“For example, the policies, in terms of housing and their infrastructure, must be different to facilitate senior citizens,” she said.