______________
Media Conference      
by Lim Kit Siang  
_________________

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday) : Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday accepted the apologies of the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week, saying that it was the “closure” her Ministry wanted. 

All Malaysians also want a “closure” to the 10-day parliamentary scandal and national shame precipitated by two BN MPs who were guilty of sexual harassment of DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan with their sexist and male-chauvinist remarks, which also brought shame and dishonour to Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation’s international reputation. 

However, it must be a honourable closure and not the most shameful and dishonourable closure orchestrated by Shahrizat yesterday, where both Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar went through another farce of proferring an apology which on examination was really no apology at all  – a counterfeit coin or a fake apology! 

Firstly, both the duo flaunted their lack of sincerity in wanting to make any apology. They pointedly refused to offer a personal apology to Po Kuan, even a fake one! 

When he returned to Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Bung Mokhtar said he had been directed by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to apologise to Malaysian women, conspicuously omitting reference to Po Kuan. 

Secondly, there was no remorse or contrition in making the apology, even to Malaysian women. Both tendered their apology “if women were offended” – implying that there was nothing wrong with their remarks but with women if they were offended! 

Thirdly, they justified their sexist and male-chauvinist attacks at Po Kuan on the ground that they were necessary to defend the government during debates. 

Mohd Said said in his prepared statement that the duo “were only defending Barisan Nasional because the Opposition had belittled, and intentionally made unfounded, baselss claims”. 

He declared: “In that situation, it is the responsibility of Barisan representatives and government supporters to defend the leadership and the Government”. 

Fourthly, the above statement was as good as a declaration that they would have no hesitation in repeating their crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in similar circumstances in future if they deem it necessary to defend the Barisan Nasional and the Government. 

Fifthly, both had lied when they claimed that they had been “provoked” to make the crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive attacks on Po Kuan.  The video footage of this 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 41,700 times. 

All can see that when Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar made the crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks, neither Po Kuan nor any  DAP MP was out to insult them or was making “unfounded, baseless claims”, as they were legitimately trying to raise in the House the scandal of Parliament leaking again after a RM90 million renovation less than two years ago! 

Both Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar made the sexist attacks on Po Kuan when there was no provocation –  when totally unprovoked! If both of them could tell such a bare-faced lie when the video footage is available for all to see, how could anyone believe in any of their claims and statements? 

Sixthly, they had added insult to injury in humiliating Malaysian women when Mohd Said alleged  that “the incident was manipulated by the opposition who pictured it (the incident) negatively, and made it look different from what really happened in the Dewan Rakyat” while Bung Mokhtar said the incident was blown out of proportion by DAP by highlighting it in the media and dragging along the women’s organizations in the country. 

Here, the duo were not only justifying their sexist attacks on Po Kuan but have gone one step further in accusing women organizations of being too gullible and mindless in allowing themselves to be manipulated by the DAP – another example of the duo’s contempt for the integrity, commitment and professionalism of women organizations and women leaders! 

For these six reasons, the fake apologies of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar must be rejected for this is a most dishonourable closure as  both BN MPs have added salt to the wounds of Po Kuan, Malaysian women, Parliament and the nation’s reputation! 

This was why the 1,200 people who attended the Cheras DAP Dinner in Kuala Lumpur last night unanimously by show-of-hands rejected the fake apologies of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar. 

I call on all political parties, in particular MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah BN component parties and their wanita and youth wings, NGOs and Malaysians to make clear their rejection of the “fake apologies” of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar for their sexism and male chauvinism in Parliament last week and to demand for their proper punishment. 

The public forum “Respect Women’s Dignity Towards a 1^st World Parliament” at YMCA Hall, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night adopted a five-point penalty for Mohd Said and Bung Mohtar, viz: 

1. Six-month suspension as MP.
2. Six-month community service with women groups.
3. Donation of the their entire parliamentary allowance during suspension  to women groups.
4. Full apology to Fong Po Kuan and Malaysian women.
5. If no full apology, the six-month suspension and community service to be extended to 12 months.

I call on all political parties, in particular MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah BN component parties and their wanita and youth wings, NGOs and Malaysians to take a common stand in a nation-wide campaign to support this five-point punishment for the two errant BN MPs.                        

(19/5/2007)