| Summary: | In Southeast Asia, studies on women in history has been a very recent
phenomenon. The unavailability of primary sources has been cited for the lack
of historical research on women. Quite often the national history pushed women
to the margins while the women’s socioeconomic and political role is seen as
supplementary to men. In Malaysia, the focus on women studies is limited. Unlike
Chinese women, the study on Malay women’s involvement in politics was more
popular due to the availability of the sources and little is known of their
socioeconomic contributions. Kedah provides us with a more clearer picture of
the role played by Malay women in the socioeconomic development in the state
through various documentary materials, including the records of the Stamp
Office, the Land office, the State Secretariat, the annual report of the state
administration, report on education and medical report and the law known as
Undang-Undang Kedah 1893
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