DAP wants Melaka CM to apologise for sexist joke
Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam (
photo
) must apologise to women for insulting them with a remark that implied the husbands have a right to abandon wives who fail to produce children, said DAP state Wanita chief Betty Chew Gek Cheng today.
She said that Mohd Ali's remark was an example of male chauvinism and castigated him for trying to gain political mileage by insulting women's dignity and honour in such an irresponsible manner.
Chew (
photo
) was upset over Mohd Ali's remark that, "If you marry your wife for 33 years and she still cannot give birth to a child, I think there is no more hope left. The voters should consider changing to another formula to try, do not continue to drag on needlessly".
Mohd Ali had said this to the Kota Melaka voters in a Chinese New Year function in Taman Anika Flats recently. He drew this analogy in asking the Kota Melaka voters to stop supporting the DAP after 33 years and change to support the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam (
photo
) must apologise to women for insulting them with a remark that implied the husbands have a right to abandon wives who fail to produce children, said DAP state Wanita chief Betty Chew Gek Cheng today.
She said that Mohd Ali's remark was an example of male chauvinism and castigated him for trying to gain political mileage by insulting women's dignity and honour in such an irresponsible manner.
Chew (
photo
) was upset over Mohd Ali's remark that, "If you marry your wife for 33 years and she still cannot give birth to a child, I think there is no more hope left. The voters should consider changing to another formula to try, do not continue to drag on needlessly".
Mohd Ali had said this to the Kota Melaka voters in a Chinese New Year function in Taman Anika Flats recently. He drew this analogy in asking the Kota Melaka voters to stop supporting the DAP after 33 years and change to support the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
"He is clearly trying to joke at DAP's expense to ask voters to abandon the DAP just like the husband abandoning the childless wife, to achieve his political objective. But he should not try to gain political mileage by insulting women's dignity and honour in such an irresponsible andinsensitive manner," said Chew, who is also the state representative for Durian Daun, in a statement.
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She added that the chief minister was wrong in blaming childlessness on the wives and not the husbands, adding that being barren was not a justifiable ground for a husband to abandon his wife.
"It is most heartless for a chief minister to suggest a man to leave his wife on such grounds. Speaking as a family lawyer, at law there is no legal right for men to divorce women on grounds of childlessness," she said.
"For Mohd Ali to repeat the traditional joke blaming women for childlessness is heartless and grossly unfair to women as it ignores the fact that men and not women may have been responsible. These comments have caused unhappiness amongst women who feel that he is not serious in women's issues and rights."
Chew said that Mohd Ali should apologise for such an insensitive joke, failing which she will raise the matter in the forthcoming state assembly meeting.
"I will also highlight his unfair remarks to women's groups nationally, including Dr Siti Hasmah (Ali), the wife of the prime minister. I also call on BN Wanita to counsel and advise Mohd Ali to stop such insulting remarks against women."
