Summary

This first comprehensive study of the involvement of women in Malaysian politics traces the growth of the major women's auxiliaries, or wings, of the various political parties, and notes their contribution to the evolution of the party system. Although the history of women's politics in Malaysia has been largely dominated by the Malay women in Wanita UMNO, the largest women's auxiliary in Malaysia, a comparative treatment is given of the later rise of the Chinese and Indian women's auxiliaries. What emerges is a comprehensive look at the nature of women's participation in the political process of multi-racial Malaysia.