What exactly was discriminatory about the remarks made against the DAP’s candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud? How do such remarks go beyond Dyana Sofya and what needs to be done to combat such attitudes?
sexism
Dynasties, hoppers and chauvinists
THERE are definitely similarities between BN and PR. But think-tank Refsa points out at least one difference that should matter to Malaysians.
Violence against Penan: How the government ignores indigenous rights
THE phenomenon of indigenous women like the Penan being violated is not peculiar to Malaysia. Indeed, there are parallels in other countries, including a developed nation like the US. In their 2007 report, Maze of Injustice: The failure to protect indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA, Amnesty International (AI) reported that indigenous women […]
Can bleeding women lead?
“The more women gain equality, the more men run to football”— Feminist slogan painted in the streets of London, 1997. A SELF-PROCLAIMED religious ideologue once wrote about why women could not and should not be allowed to have the same roles and jobs as men. I shan’t get into the details of the book (I’ve […]
“Difference in Islam is healthy”
Susan Carland “IF you publish this, and I get kicked out of the country, I know who to thank,” says Susan Carland towards to the end of our interview. There is a reason for Australian Carland, who was recently in Malaysia, to be cautious. Speaking up as an outsider about Islam in Malaysia has its […]
Proposal to check sexist MPs lauded
PETALING JAYA: Wanita MCA’s proposal for a code of conduct to check on sexist and indecent behaviour among parliamentarians has received support from several women’s groups. But some remain suspicious of the movement’s motives in bringing the matter up now. Chew Mei FunWanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun had announced on 14 Dec that […]
Sexism in politics
IN October, I had posted on my blog my thoughts on Datuk Chamil Wariya’s despicable short story based on a character very similar to DAP Member of Parliament (MP) for Seputeh, Teresa Kok. I had wondered aloud whether there was a sexist element to recent incidents involving opposition MPs. Most of my commenters opined that […]
Fatwa on tomboys is regressive
Fatwa protestors outside KLCC (photos by Lainie Yeoh) DOES Malaysia have serious morality and social problems? Definitely. To name a few: corruption, money politics, draconian laws like the Internal Security Act (ISA), abuse of power, violation of citizen’s rights, environmental problems, failure to reduce the high crime rate, rampant snatch theft, domestic violence, and failure […]
Prejudice in religious finery
IN his Life of Samuel Johnson, James Boswell writes that he once told Johnson, “I had been that morning at a meeting of the people called Quakers, where I had heard a woman preach.” To which Johnson replied, “Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog’s walking on his hind legs. It is not done […]
