Female candidates are often sought out when discussing gender equality in politics, but for first-time female candidates in the forthcoming 15th general election (GE15), their candidacy is not about filling quotas alone.

The first-time candidates Malaysiakini caught up with say they didn’t join the fray just to make up the 30 percent desired quota or to fight for women’s equality - but they believe their voices in Parliament can make a substantive difference to legislative debates...