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©The Sun (Used
by permission)
by Pauline Puah, Hwa Yue-Yi and R. Manirajan
KUALA LUMPUR (May 14, 2007): The "bocor" issue, which caused an uproar in
the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament) last week, has spilled over.
The parliamentarians who were responsible for the remark that offended women
received a dressing down in the Dewan Negara today.
And elsewhere, women’s groups are preparing a protest gathering tomorrow, with
calls being made for a mechanism to “take care of this kind of behaviour”.
In the Dewan Negara, Deputy Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Wong Kam
Hoong said the rough remarks made by some MPs had ruined the government’s
campaign to create a well-mannered society.
He was answering a supplementary question from Gooi Hoe Hin, who suggested the
ministry hold a courtesy course for “some parliamentarians”.
“Our courtesy campaign has been ruined. Pak Lah’s programme to build a first
class human capital has been ruined as well.
“As MPs, we should be careful on our conduct and the way we talk, especially
issues on women whom we respect,” Wong said.
He said the lot of MPs had been besmirched.
“Repeatedly (they made inappropriate remarks). How do they face their family,
mothers, daughters, sisters, especially when yesterday) was Mother’s Day? I am
very disappointed,” Wong said, without naming the MPs.
He said the ministry would submit a report on the matter to the premier.
Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN – Kinabatangan) and Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (BN –
Jasin) had raised an outcry for uttering a sexist remark against Fong Po Kuan
(DAP – Batu Gajah) during a heated exchange about the ceiling leakage in
Parliament last Wednesday (May 9).
“Where is the leak? Batu Gajah MP also leaks every month,” Bung Mokhtar was
quoted as saying.
Earlier, in answering another question pertaining to this issue, Women, Family
and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei
Fun said the minister concerned would bring this matter to the cabinet soon.
At a function today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri
Shahrizat said she wants action to be taken to ensure that remarks that insult
or belittle women will not be repeated in Parliament.
“I feel hurt at what happened and I want concrete steps taken to ensure that
similar incidents do not recur.
“I will raise the matter at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss the
steps to be taken,” she said.
“This has been happening many times and must not be taken lightly. More
importantly, we want action.”
At another function, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was also asked
about this matter.
Initially, he said it was up to Parliament to decide, but when pressed whether
it was proper for MPs to make such remarks, he said: “I don’t want to pass
judgment about what they said. They said it in a very ... It was not supposed to
be taken seriously, I think if you take it with a sense of humour, then ... But
of course people are making a big meal out of this issue.”
Outside Parliament, the Joint Action Group on Gender Equality (JAG) is
organising a public protest tomorrow outside the Women, Family and Community
Development Ministry in the Bukit Perdana Government Complex.
The protest will start at 11am with the reading of a statement from the group,
after which JAG representatives hope to meet the minister.
“What we aim to achieve is to stop all this discrimination and sexism in the
Parliament, and also to ensure there is a mechanism to take care of this kind of
behaviour,” Women’s Development Collective executive director Maria Chin
Abdullah said on behalf of JAG.
Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah noted that from as early
as 2000, there had been a pattern of chauvinistic remarks by the MPs.
“Occasionally there was an apology and what appeared to be a slap on the wrist,
but it is not addressing the deep-seated sexist culture. There is this attitude
that women are fair game,” she said.
She noted that in 2002, the banner organisation Women’s Agenda for Change
submitted a three-page memorandum to the House Speaker, highlighting examples of
sexist and lewd language in Parliament and urging that sexual harassment
prohibitions be incorporated in the Parliamentary code of conduct.
“Hopefully we will not have to wait another five years,” she added.
The All Women's Action Society (AWAM) said in a statement the comments by Bung
Mokhtar and Mohd Said insulted every girl and woman.
AWAM said “letting [the MPs] off without even a reprimand, or making them
apologise, sends the signal that sexual harassment of women is acceptable”.
DAP leaders today sent a letter of protest to the office of Deputy Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who is also BN Whip.
The party is also organising a forum on this issue on May 17 night in Wisma YMCA
in Brickfields.
In the letter, the DAP called for the suspension and the
sacking of the two BN MPs over their sexist remarks.
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