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Speech       
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Ipoh, Saturday) : The people of Pasir Pinji and Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency tonight stand in the very national forefront to  give full support and solidarity to DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan and condemn the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive attack on Po Kuan and all Malaysian women, making an utter mockery of Mother’s Day tomorrow.

I thank the people of Pasir Pinji and Ipoh Timur for their public-spiritedness and sense of justice in just  supporting by an  unanimous show of hands a four-point resolution over this issue, viz: 

• CONDEMN the two sexist BN MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive remarks against a woman MP, Fong Po Kuan (DAP – Batu Gajah) bringing shame and dishonour not only to Po Kuan, but also to Parliament and all Malaysian women.
• URGE all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, political belief, sex or age to come forward to stand as one to give full support to Fong Po Kuan and demand that the most severe punishment must be meted out to the two sexist BN MPs for bringing shame and dishonour to Po Kuan, Parliament and Malaysian women.
• REGRET that not a single Barisan Nasional MP, whether Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, man or woman,  had the political principle and courage of conviction to stand up in Parliament to support Po Kuan to condemn the two sexist BN MPs for their shameful and abominable conduct in Parliament; and
• CALL on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to honour his 2004 general election pledge to “hear the truth” from the people and to be modern-day Justice Bao by taking severe disciplinary actions against the two sexist BN MPs  for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive remarks which have brought shame and dishonour to Parliament and all Malaysian women, making an utter mockery of Mother’s Day tomorrow.

BN women MPs owe Malaysians an explanation as to why they chickened out and abdicated from their responsibility to defend and uphold women honour and dignity when they came under attack by the two sexist BN MPs in the last two days of Parliament. They must in particular explain their spineless conduct in three instances: 

Firstly, when Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar made the derogatory, crude, sexist and gender-offensive remarks on Wednesday (9^th May)  when DAP MPs sought to highlight the scandal of Parliament leaking after a RM100 million renovation, Po Kuan and other DAP MPs did not hear the disgusting remarks because of the din and pandemonium in Parliament at the time. Another reason was DAP MPs and the sexist BN MP duo were seated at the furthest distance from each other in extreme positions in the House. 

However, BN men and women MPs who sat close to the two BN MPs heard the sexist remarks. Why didn’t anyone of the BN women MPs stand up to instantly protest against the sexist remarks which are an affront not only to Po Kuan, but to themselves and all women MPs,  as well as Malaysian women in general. 

Secondly, when Po Kuan stood up in the House at 10 am the next morning (Thursday 10^th May) after reading press reports about the sexist remarks by Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar, and tabled a motion to refer them to the Committee of Privileges, why no BN women MPs stood up to support Po Kuan? 

Instead, one BN woman MP quickly scurried out of the Chamber when she heard Po Kuan raising the subject of the sexist conduct of the two BN MPs. I will not name her now, but if BN women MPs dare to deny and challenge me to name names, I am glad to do so. 

Thirdly, when the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib returned to the House at 2.30 pm to announce his decision – throwing out Po Kuan’s privilege motion on a technical ground though expressing regret at the offensive language used by the two sexist BN MPs – all the BN women MPs, including  Minister, Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Secretary, conspicuously stayed away from the House when they should have made it a point to attend to show support and solidarity to Po Kuan as they had more than four hours’ notice of the Speaker’s ruling. 

When at the most critical time to stand up for women rights and dignity, BN women MPs decided to hide themselves away from the Chamber! Can they account for their conspicuous absence despite more than four hours’ notice of the Speaker’s ruling at 2.30 pm the same day? 

Parliament has failed in its duty to the nation and people, in particular Malaysian women, in shirking from its responsibility to redeem itself and  punish the two sexist BN MPs who have brought shame and dishonour to Parliament and Malaysian women.  

Since Parliament is not prepared to do what it should do to redeem its honour and those of Malaysian women and the nation, it is now up to the ordinary Malaysian public to do what Members of Parliament and Ministers have failed to do – by making their condemnation of the sexist conduct of the two BN MPs loud and clear to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the country and the world! 

If Parliament cannot protect its own honour and those of Malaysian women and people, then the time has come for ordinary Malaysians to stand up to protect their own honour and those of Parliament!

(12/5/2007)