COMMENT Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) is astounded at the sexist and male chauvinistic comment made by Umno lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun. Being a professional, Hafarizam should be well aware that a person’s capability has nothing to do with his/her biological make-up.

A woman’s menses is God-given and it is part of her natural biological cycle and does not in any way prevent her from being a leader of integrity and having leadership abilities to lead, equipped with the skills, dedication and commitment.

Among women leaders in the world political sphere, just to name a few, Benazir Bhutto of the theocratic State of Pakistan married and delivered her first child while she was in office as prime minister. Megawati Sukarnoputri ( centre in photo ) was the president of Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. Vijaya Letchum Pandit, a woman, was one of the presidents of the UN General Assembly.

That being the case we strongly object to Hafarizam’s attempt to justify his sexist discrimination argument by citing religious reference. His utterance is falsely reinforcing the stereotyping of women and that women are inferior and are weak because of their biological nature. Such bigotry and derogatory statement and mind-set leads to discrimination against women in all spheres.

In Malaysia, women form over 40 percent of the labour force market and many of them are in different levels of decision-making or leadership positions. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia census in 2005, a total of over 82,000 business establishments were owned by the women entrepreneurs playing the leadership role of managing their businesses and creating revenue for the nation.

There have been many capable women leaders in Malaysia since Merdeka or even before that, and more women leaders will continue to emerge.

We are also further appalled by PAS expressing their non-support for women as MB, but only as lawmakers. We hereby affirm the principle that all posts in all communities and institutions should rightly be held by any qualified Malaysian, regardless of gender or other group membership, insofar as they enjoy the mandate.

We would like to bring to the attention of Hafarizam and PAS that Article 8 of the federal constitution clearly states that there should be no discrimination on the basis of gender.

Address stereotypes and injustices

Malaysia has also ratified the Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) in 1995 and Malaysia has to fulfil its duty and obligation by embarking on programmes to address stereotypes, prejudices and practices and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women either in their public or political sphere.

Only when women are freed from all forms of discrimination and be spared from degrading utterances from Hafarizam and the like, will women be fully released and they would be able to enjoy their rights as human beings and treated with dignity.

We would like to reiterate that clause 15 of GBM’s charter on Women’s Rights states:

GBM “Affirms gender justice based on international instruments that provide substantive equality to women, with opportunities and access in nation-building by eliminating discrimination and systemic prejudices”.

Lastly, for the betterment of the nation that we do not fall victim of international mockery again and again, we would like to propose to the relevant authorities that all leaders of communities and political parties should undergo training on gender, race/ethnicity and human rights enabling them to be more aware, sensitive and responsible in their utterances and conduct. This shall also assist leaders to gain respect nationally and internationally.

GABUNGAN BERTINDAK MALAYSIA is a coalition of NGOs working for a better Malaysia.