All Women’s Action Society (Awam) condemns Nazri Abdul Aziz’s recent sexist remark reported in the media, quoting Nazri comparing the MCA to a “wife who complains all day long that she was being abused, raped and not given enough food, but yet does not want to divorce her husband.” ( Star , Mar 24).  

We note that while the MCA has voiced its displeasure on the basis as its insulting to the MCA’s relationship to the BN, no one has criticised the remark as being offensive to women.

Nazri has struck again. He has again resorted to offensive stereotypes of women to insult others, in this case, the stereotype of the nagging wife and the ‘masochistic’ woman unwilling to leave an abusive marriage.  

This perpetuates the damaging myth that women stay in violent relationships because they ‘like it’, or are too weak or silly to leave and are therefore ‘asking for it’. It’s a victim-blaming exercise and insult to victims of abuse. Furthermore, the ‘nagging wife’ is also an age-old misogynistic stereotype that devalues women’s speech, and it has often been deployed as a justification for male violence within a relationship or marriage.

This is hardly the first time the minister has made sexist remarks. We recall a year ago in Parliament when he used another sexist put-down where he labelled opposition MPs as “ anak betina ” (little girls), a slur linking the female sex to weakness and cowardice.  He also defended the notorious “ bocor ” sexist remarks in Parliament in 2007.

He is also not above making other discriminatory remarks such as “You are just jealous because I am standing!” to wheel-chair bound MP Karpal Singh, a horrifically insensitive thing to say and an offence to differently-abled persons.

Of course, as with so many other repeat offenders, the minister has never apologised and has escaped without punishment. In fact he continues to defend his offensive behaviour. Not only does he defend his statement, his colleagues in his party remain silent or refuse to chastise him.  

Enough is enough Nazri!

Ho Yock Lin is acting president of Awam.