When I read a report entitled All 'tied' up in red except Abdullah in a local daily, I couldn't comprehend the reason for so-called 'joke' by our honorable prime minister and why the media need to make that news.

Our prime minister who supposed to be an exemplary for other officials and also the 'rakyat' should have been more careful when he jokingly told the men "to listen to their wives, when it comes to their dressing but not on policy matters". It has indeed belittled the intelligence of women and indirectly implied that they can't think further than providing domestic advice for the husbands.

In a country where we still have the majority of people who think women should be treated in certain ways and have biased views on women, it can be very damaging to have the prime minister to joke on such matters. It shows that he is no better than other men who have narrow views about women in general.

I feel the media should have been wiser in reporting such issues which are deemed to affect the sensitivity of women because by highlighting these issues the media is further re-establishing stereotyped perceptions, especially on women. Media should stop covering issues merely to attract publicity; instead it should focus on educating the public on such matters.