MALAYSIA IN FIFTH PLACE GLOBALLY FOR WOMEN HOLDING SENIOR POSITIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- A research by Grant Thornton International, has placed Malaysia in the fifth place globally with 31 percent women holding senior positions in the country's Medium to Large Enterprises (MLEs).

It is an eight percent increment from 23 percent in 2007, SJ Grant Thornton
said in a statement.

A total of 39 percent of businesses in the country have three or more women
holding senior positions, it said.

"The government has agreed on a policy to ensure at least 30 percent of all
decision-making positions in the public sector will eventually be held by women.

"With this supporting policy, we are able to see more capable female senior
management contributing in many organisations across different sectors of the
economy, government, financial services, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and
many more," said managing partner of SJ Grant Thornton N. K. Jasani.

However, women in general still hold less than a quarter which is 24 percent
of senior management positions in MLEs globally, a marginal improvement of five
percent from 2004, when only 19 percent of senior level positions were held by
women.

SJ Grant Thornton is a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd
and provides assurance, tax advisory and compliance, corporate finance,
corporate restructuring and management consulting services in Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA