THE Council of Malaysian Women Political Leaders (Comwel) is appalled and shocked over the statement by the Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor who had questioned women’s ability to be an effective representative whether as a MP or state assemblywoman.
His statement has been described as outright sexist, misogynist and deeply insulting to women leaders, according to Comwel founder and president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
“We call on Sanusi to immediately and unreservedly apologise to all Malaysians – especially women – while retracting his statement,” Zuraida who is also Parti Bangsa Malaysia’s (PBM) president designate pointed out in a statement.
“If he does not, he should just resign because holding such views is an insult to the Government he leads, the state legislature which he is part of and to this nation.”
In fact, Zuraida asserted that Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution was amended in July 2001 to prohibit gender discrimination.
“Has he (Sanusi) forgotten that PAS, too has several women lawmakers both in the previous Parliament and state assemblies or that it is fielding women in the forthcoming 15th General Election (GE15)?” she asked.
“Is he saying that PAS’ female lawmakers and candidates are inferior to males and that they should drop out of the polls?”
Added Zuraida: “We are wondering if Sanusi had just come out of a cave. Commenting about a potential lawmakers’ looks or the purported long time she takes to get ready to attend to constituents’ needs shows he is from an era which treats females as second-class (citizens).
“Has he forgotten that Malaysia has moved far ahead as we have had a female deputy prime minister (Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim) in the past? Or that our Chief Justice is a woman (Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat) and the fairer sex had held key posts like ministers, secretaries-general at ministries and even appointed as vice-chancellors of universities?”
In that regard, Zuraida said PBM which has been acknowledged as the party which fielded he most number of female candidates in GE15 at 57.6% (with Pakatan Harapan coming in second at 19%) urged people like Sanusi to stop insulting women and to start treating them like equal partners in nation building.
“PBM which is a party that strongly advocates women’s rights and empowerment feels greatly offended by this statement,” she added. – Nov 13, 2022
