A PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) MP has urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to stop making condescending remarks about women, which can foster normalisation among most men.
Kepala Batas lawmaker Siti Mastura Muhammad said the Tambun MP should portray a respectable character to the people regardless of age and background.
“The normalisation has already taken place in social media comment sections (with people) defending the prime minister and continuing indecent jokes towards women,” she penned in a Facebook post.
Last Saturday (June 24), Anwar attended a town hall meeting in Nilai when he responded to a question from a Form Six student by praising her for being articulate and joked that if he had been younger, he would have asked for her phone number.
The Pakatan Harapan chairperson’s words sparked criticism from various quarters, with some calling them “sexist and demeaning” to women, according to news portal Malaysiakini.
Bersatu legal and constitution bureau deputy chairperson Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif and Muda deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz have both demanded that Anwar apologise for his remarks.
According to Siti Mastura, both men and women should feel safe when voicing their concerns to the prime minister.
“Anwar seems to have gone too far with his reformist character after becoming prime minister. (You have) power (but) don’t forget boundaries of morals and ethics,” she added. – June 28, 2023
