KUALA LUMPUR: A group of women – and men – gathered in front of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry yesterday to protest against the sexist remarks made by two MPs and demanded their suspension and an apology.
Led by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), a coalition of seven non-governmental organisations, the protestors, including representatives from various political parties like Wanita MCA Beliawanis, DAP, PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, handed over a memorandum to minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil calling for an end to sexism in Parliament,
The furore started last week in the Dewan Rakyat when Opposition MPs tried to raise a motion on the leaking ceiling near the media centre.
Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN – Kinabatangan) and Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (BN – Jasin) then said “Mana bocor? Batu Gajah pun bocor setiap bulan. (Where is the leak? Batu Gajah [MP Fong Po Kuan] also leaks monthly).”
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/16/nation/17738289&sec=nation]
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Group hands over memo to minister, demands apology - The Star
Jasin MP denies making ‘bocor’ comment - The Star
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Mohd Said Yusof, one of the two Barisan Nasional MPs, who uttered sexist remarks against women in Parliament, refused to say if he would apologise or not.
The Jasin MP even denied making such statements saying that the media had blown it out of proportion.
This is despite Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s plan to bring up the matter in today’s Cabinet meeting to see if it is possible to amend the Standing Orders to include a requirement that the language used in Parliament be gender sensitive.
Shahrizat also said on Monday that it would be an honourable thing for the MPs to apologise.
When asked if he would apologise, Mohd Said said: “Let it be. The press exaggerated it. I didn’t say it. I don’t want to comment anymore.”
Mohd Said said he would issue a statement on the matter in Parliament today.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/16/nation/17736594&sec=nation]
