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Media Statement       
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Wednesday) : The week-long silence of the Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus on Gender Equality, Dr. Rozaidah Talib (Ampang) in the escalating national furore over the crude, vulgar, sexist and male-chauvinist remarks of the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) bringing shame and dishonour to DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan, women MPs, Parliament and the nation and the open support of two caucus members to sexism in Parliament is another shameful episode for the Malaysian Parliament. 

Dr. Rozaidah was informed by SMS on Thursday morning of Po Kuan’s attempt refer the two sexist BN MPs to the Privileges Committee and the decision by the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to make a ruling when the House resumed after lunch-break at 2.30 p.m, but she chose to absent herself when it would be her duty and responsibility as Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus on Gender Equality to round up all Caucus committee members to stand up and speak loud and clear against sexism by male chauvinists in Parliament. 

Even worse, two caucus members, Fadilan Yusuf (BN- Petrajaya)  and Idris Haron (BN-Tangga Batu) spoke up in support and defence of the two sexist BN MPs, showing no sympathy, support or solidarity whatsoever to Po Kuan and Malaysian women who were being shamed and dishonoured by the  derogatory, crude, sexist and gender-offensive attacks of the MPs from Jasin and Kinabatangan. 

Fadilan said “the statement was never intended to humiliate women” and that it was provoked - although he did not explain how two MPs could be provoked and together, when the whole issue was about Parliament leaking despite a RM100 million renovation! 

Idris went even further, accusing Po Kuan of “using the issue as a means of getting publicity for her own political agenda”, claiming that it was “a joke, not a personal attack”. 

Both Fadilan and Idris must apologise for their gender-insensitive and offensive comments. They are also totally unqualified to be on the Parliamentary Caucus on Gender Equality. 

I am surprised that Mohd Said has now denied that he had uttered sexist remarks, when the video footage of his disgraceful parliamentary conduct is up on YouTube, Google and many blogs. On YouTube alone, which received a four-and-a-half star rating, it was viewed more than 21,000 times. 

The Jasin MP of “one-eyed” notoriety is proving himself to be a liar apart from being a MCP in Parliament. 

I have received a report by the DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam, Chong Eng, that the GlobalPOWER 2007, which is a worldwide coalition of Members of Parliament, state legislators and members of the judiciary, has issued a statement denouncing “the sexist and demeaning statements that male Members of Parliament in Malaysia made to their women colleagues”. 

Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar as the main culprits and the two MCPs in Parliament should apologise to Parliament and the nation for this international shame they have brought to the country. Others who had rallied to their defence and support like Fadilan and Idris or condoned their misconduct like Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, should also tender their public apologies to Po Kuan, Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation.

(16/5/2007)