Nicole Wong apologises for drubbing Siti Zailah
MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong has apologised for drubbing Women, Family, and Community Development Deputy Minister Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff over the latter's advice on domestic relationships.
Wong said she no longer found Siti Zailah's advice objectionable after viewing the original video of the deputy minister giving advice.
MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong has apologised for drubbing Women, Family, and Community Development Deputy Minister Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff over the latter's advice on domestic relationships.
Wong said she no longer found Siti Zailah's advice objectionable after viewing the original video of the deputy minister giving advice.
"As such, I would like to offer my humblest apology to Siti Zailah and seek her forgiveness.
"I made the mistake of making judgment too quickly based on one-sided sources, and should not have done so, verily.
"This mistake was done by me and me alone and does not imply the stand of my party," she said in a Facebook post tonight.
Taking to Facebook, Wong said her comments saying Siti Zailah was unfit to be a deputy minister was based on the content of Malaysiakini's article "SIS: Underlying tone in Siti Zailah's 'advisory' video wrong"
Yesterday, Siti Zailah (above) posted a video clip on her social media accounts giving advice to married couples on how to manage household tensions amid the movement control order.
Malaysiakini today published the article citing Sisters in Islam (SIS) as saying the underlying tone that women should remain patient, accept and forgive their partner's abusive attitude was wrong.
Wong said her condemnation of Siti Zailah was based on this article.
"I am sorry to say this, but Siti Zailah isn't fit to become the deputy minister of the ministry.
"To be quiet towards a husband's abusive behaviour? This is utterly unacceptable!" she had said in a now-deleted tweet.
Malaysiakini in the article wrote that Siti Zailah, in her video, acknowledged that the movement control order might put stress on families leading to domestic violence.
In view of this, she provided three "tips" on how to defuse tensions including being appreciative, showing forgiveness and being religious.
She also said that victims of domestic abuse should contact her ministry's Talian Kasih hotline for help.
Although Siti Zailah did not overtly say women should be patient and accept and forgive their abusive partners, many critics, including social activist Marina Mahathir, have interpreted her message as such in the context of the entire video clip.
SIS said Siti Zailah and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry should have been clearer in their messaging on protecting women and children from abusive husbands and fathers.
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.