©The Star (Used by permission)
by MARTIN CARAVLHO, FLORENCE A. SAMY and YUEN MEIKENG
KUALA LUMPUR: Sexist remarks are to be forbidden in Parliament under proposed amendments to the Standing Orders.
The same goes for rude and offensive language under the Bill tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday to be debated today.
The Bill reads: “It shall be out of order for Members of the House to use offensive language or make a sexist remark.”
Although the Speaker had in the past reprimanded MPs for making sexist or offensive remarks and referred them to the Rights and Privileges Committee, there is no specific provision in the Standing Orders to prevent them from doing so.
One of the most controversial sexist remarks was made in 2007 by Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, who used the word bocor (leak) in reference to the monthly menstruation cycle of Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan.
They were arguing about the Parliament ceiling that was leaking at the time.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the proposed amendments were to put a stop to sexist remarks in Parliament “once and for all”.
“Lately, there have been a lot of such incidents. We want to put a brake on it ... This is to safeguard the honour of women.”
He added that the Speaker had absolute power to determine whether a word was sexist or not.
On the action that would be taken against the MPs and Senators who defied the rule, Nazri said: “It is up to them (the Speaker and Senate president) to decide whether to refer them to the Rights and Privileges Committee.”
Among the first to express support for the Bill was Bung Mokhtar, the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club deputy chairman who had angered women's groups in the past with utterances they considered sexist.
He said: “MPs are fully aware they should not make sexist remarks. However, there have been times when their words have been misconstrued and played up by the media.”
Women Parliamentary Caucus chairperson Nancy Shukri, in welcoming the proposed amendments, said that sexist remarks made in the Dewan Rakyat were nothing new despite rules against MPs using “un–parliamentary words”.
The proposed amendments were specific where the present rules were silent on sexist remarks, she added.
Nancy added that the new rule should also apply to both the sexes in Parliament.
Chong Eng (DAP–Bukit Mertajam), who is a member of the Standing Orders Committee, said it was the bocor remark that prompted the proposed amendments.
“It was the last straw. Many women's groups demanded that Parliament act.”
Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN–Putatan) welcomed the Bill but added that MPs should not be too sensitive over remarks made in jest.
“We have to be mature. Not everything should be taken so seriously,” he added.
Tian Chua (PKR – Batu) said the amendments had to be strictly enforced to put a stop to sexist remarks.