Happy International Women’s Day, from all of us at Perdana Leadership Foundation!
In honour of this year’s IWD theme – #AccelerateAction – and Malaysia’s celebration of International Women’s Day 2025 with the theme ‘Wanita Beraspirasi, Membina Legasi’ (Aspiring Women, Building Legacies), we celebrate the remarkable Malaysian women who have led the way in their respective fields, breaking barriers and shaping the nation’s future.
Here are some inspiring quotes from them:
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali – (One of Malaysia’s first female doctors and wife of the fourth & seventh Prime Minister).
“I wanted people to know that you have to work very, very hard. You must have education, know what is happening in your own country, and help society.”
(An excerpt from Prestige Women interview, 2016)
Tun Fatimah Hashim (Malaysia’s first woman cabinet minister)
“Women are capable. My struggle was to get them recognised as being equal to men. In the early days after independence, a woman did not draw the same salary as a man even though she had the same qualifications. I thought if we did not fight for our rights, then who else would do it?”
(An excerpt from NST Merdeka Awards, 2009).
Tan Sri Aishah Ghani (Former Minister of Social Welfare and Prominent Advocate for Women’s Rights)
“I will never give up in life. Whatever I set my heart on, I will keep working towards achieving it.”
(An excerpt from Aishah Ghani Srikandi Koperasi Jaya Murni, 2018).
Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Malaysia’s first woman Deputy Prime Minister and wife of the tenth Prime Minister)
“Continuous education, upskilling, reskilling, and cross-skilling are crucial to ensure women remain at the forefront of leadership. Women should be chosen for leadership positions based on their capabilities, not merely to fulfil quotas.”
(An excerpt from an opening ceremony of the Asia Pacific Region International Leadership Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, 2023).
Emerita Professor Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman (Malaysia’s first woman astrophysicist and former Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA))
“In science, if you say you don’t need women, perhaps that would be acceptable from the knowledge point of view; but in terms of application, women can surely contribute differently towards solving problems. Women need to be considered in the whole scheme of things and only now is this being better addressed.”
(An excerpt from PLF Oral History Session with Tan Sri Mazlan Othman, 2024)
Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz (Malaysia’s longest-serving Minister of International Trade and Industry)
“There is no difference between men and women. What men are capable of doing, women can do the same and more, and vice versa. What’s important is not the physical attributes, but what is inside the mind and heart.”
(An excerpt from A Conversation with Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, 2018)
Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood (Humanitarian and founder of MERCY Malaysia)
“A business’s sustainability depends on many factors beyond its control—most critically, the planet’s health. A sick planet leads to sick people, struggling economies, and failing businesses. Endless economic growth isn’t truly sustainable; it’s time to rethink how humanity thrives.”
(An excerpt from the keynote address at the PLF CEO Forum 2021)
Tan Sri Dr Ungku Zeti Akhtar Aziz (Malaysia’s first woman Governor of Bank Negara)
“Unlike conventional thinking, leadership has nothing to do with one’s position, title, or authority. Rather, leadership [now] is about the drive to create a better future and having the inner energy to keep going despite resistance and obstacles.”
(An excerpt from the keynote address at the launch of the 2017 Leadership Energy Summit Asia, 2017)
Datuk Nicol David – (Malaysia’s longest-reigning world No 1 squash player).
“When I saw I had potential and room to keep reinventing myself, I just kept on going to see how I could reach my full potential.”
(An excerpt from University of Wales Interview)
These are just a few of the many Malaysian women who have shattered barriers and redefined possibilities. As we celebrate their achievements, let’s recognise that the journey towards true equality is ongoing.
