Umno lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun should immediately withdraw his demeaning statement about Muslim women being not suitable for the post of Selangor menteri besar and issue an unconditional apology.

If senior Member of Parliament and gaffe-prone Bung Moktar Radin can say sorry over his recent “Hitler” remark following public outrage, then Mohd Hafarizam, as a much junior politician, should be able to express remorse, given the outpouring of public anger.

As a new generation educated leader, there is no valid reason to be imprisoned in the patriarchal history of male-dominated human societies and to penalise females for being merely of a different gender.

His latest “clarification” that he was not referring to Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail or menstrual cycles with regard to the Selangor MB’s post, does not stand to reason.

Mohd Hafarizam has obviously forgotten that the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia, had a female as its president in Megawati Sukarnoputri.

In fact, one of the most illustrious female Muslim leaders in the late 20th century was the late Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s ex-prime minister.

Many Muslim populated nations, including Turkey, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Senegal etc. have had prominent Muslim female political leaders.

Mohd Hafarizam should know that Article 8 of the federal constitution clearly stipulates that there should be no discrimination based on gender.

The government in 2001 had amended the federal constitution to include “gender” under the provision prohibiting discrimination to reflect the government’s commitment on gender equality.

Malaysia is also a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw), a United Nations treaty.

Mohd Hafarizam’s remarks amounted to an insinuation that Muslim women are not fit to hold high political office.

This would be grossly unfair to half the Muslims in this country and does not do justice to the great religion of Islam which defends fairness and equality.

Such an insinuation might further unjustly involve His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor, as guardian of Islam and in his role as a constitutional monarch.

The main criterion in deciding whether or not a person is fit to be the Selangor MB should solely be his or her competence and whether he or she commands the confidence of the majority of the Dewan Undangan Negeri.

On that note, I am also perplexed why associate professor Shamrahayu Abd Aziz, a female, would echo Mohd Hafarizam’s misogynic views. Her support for Mohd Hafarizam was most unhelpful.

Shamrahayu is known for her rigid interpretation of women’s role in modern society – marked in part by her vigorous public support for hudud implementation in the past.

This goes against moderation which the Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) is rigorously promoting in the face of rising extremism.

 

GAN PING SIEU is co-president of the Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet).