Tiff on Jahara's 'ingratitude' dig at Dyana
Even the Penang state legislative assembly was not unaffected by the intense fight between DAP and Gerakan in the upcoming Teluk Intan by-election.
Even the Penang state legislative assembly was not unaffected by the intense fight between DAP and Gerakan in the upcoming Teluk Intan by-election.
State Opposition leader Jahara Hamid ( right ) said she believed that for women to break the glass ceiling, she would need to have higher merit than men.
"We don't have problems with young and beautiful women in politics, it is good as to have more women's voices in Parliament," Jahara said during her speech in the state assembly today.
"The issue is the DAP candidate came from BN's efforts as well, for example, she was a graduate of UiTM," she added.
Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, 27, is contesting against Gerakan president Mah Siew Kong, 53, in Teluk Intan which goes to polls on May 31.
" Kacang lupakan kulit ," continued the Teluk Ayer Tawar assemblywoman, referring to the Malay idiom for ingratitude.
At this point, DAP's Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer ( left ) demanded she withdraw that remark.
PKR Seberang Jaya assemblyman and state exco member Dr Afif Bahardin backed him, saying "As a youth, we turn from Umno not because "kacang lupakan kulit" but because we are fed-up of Umno and BN".
Speaker Law Choo Kiang initially did not allow it, ordering Rayer to sit down when he insisted, citing the Dewan's standing orders, that Jahara retract the statement.
Finally, Jahara allowed him to speak, and Rayer explained "I am defending women's rights. If you (Jahara) respect women, withdraw that statement".
The issue subsided after Law, also PKR's Bukit Tambun assemblyman, ordered Jahara to continue with her speech.
Praise for Jahara
Earlier, DAP's Padang Lallang assemblywoman and state exco member Chong Eng praised Jahara for not attacking Dyana the way Wanita Umno chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil did.
Sharizat had described the young lawyer as a "puppet".
Indeed, when the duo met in a walk-around yesterday, the senior woman reportedly told her "don't be a traitor".
Chong Eng ( right ) told Jahara that DAP never considered her a "token" as she has all the qualifications for her post as state opposition leader, having held office as an assemblywoman for five years.
"The same goes for the women presidents of the Penang Municipal Council and Seberang Perai council - Patahiyah Ismail and Maimunah Shariff," she added.
They are the first women to hold those positions in the country.
However she added there were also women politicians "who want to hold on to their positions and do not want any competition. In fact their thinking is very mainstream, like men who insult and put down women for being what they are," asserted Chong Eng.
"I am very proud that Jahara is not like that and does not agree with Sharizat," she continued. But this was before Jahara directed the ‘ingratitude’ remark at Dyana.
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