Two sexist BN MPs – Cabinet must step in tomorrow to reject their fake apologies


The Cabinet tomorrow must step in to make clear that the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan)’s fake apologies are unacceptable and support civil society’s demand for six-month suspension as MP and community service with women groups as punishment for the duo, with parliamentary allowances for this period donated in their entirely to women organizations.

It will be a most adverse reflection on the Cabinet and government if Cabinet Ministers endorse the fake apologies by the duo, including accepting the report of the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who had clearly failed to stand up for gender respect, sensitivity and equality in her eagerness to resolve the controversy — even if it was in the form of fake, insincere and dishonest “apologies”.

If Shahrizat had not realized that she had been bamboozled by the two BN MPs with their fake apologies, she should have realized it by now in the face of very critical and even hostile public comments at her failure to do justice to repair the grave wrong done in Parliament by the sexism of the two BN MPs — bringing shame and dishonour to DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, Malaysian women, Parliament and the nation’s international reputation — as well as women in ASEAN and the world!

In the mishandling of the latest instance of sexist and male-chauvinist outbursts by the two BN MPs in Parliament, Shahrizat is becoming an even bigger issue than Mohd Said and Bung Mohtar.

Shahrizat has still got a final chance to make amends to redeem her respect among Malaysian and global women — by being frank with the Cabinet that the issue is becoming even bigger because of the fake apologies of the two errant BN MPs, and asking the Cabinet to step in tomorrow to reject the fake apologies and support civil society’s demand for six-month suspension as MP and community service with women groups as punishment for the duo.

  1. #1 by HJ Angus on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 11:10 am

  2. #2 by Godfather on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 11:13 am

    Kit:

    Stop flogging a dead horse.

  3. #3 by paix on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 12:35 pm

    Keep tightening the screws until they cry uncle. These 2 sob’s deserve no mercy.

  4. #4 by lks on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 1:19 pm

    All Malaysian should be looking at the proceedings in the Sarawak State Assembly with 6 DAP elected representitives put on really lively debates and performance, which including refusal to wear the ceremonial dress, walkouts, challenging speaker of the house etc.

    http://tengchangkhim.blogspot.com/2006/07/dap-sarawak-roars.html

    This is how opposition should challenge the government of the day!! Way to go Kuching!

  5. #5 by pachyin on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 1:56 pm

    DAP must combine with Parti Keadilan to become a new party with new name new logo new motto ..etc
    [deleted]

    Please giv a big blow to stupid BN.
    we hav to accept that malaysia is 80% bumi n only 20% non-bumi voice. [deleted]

    Malaysia will celebrate 50 years of independence. The people must create something new for our country. We all miss Tengku Abdul Rahman the father of merdeka. However ‘PakaiLah’ will only be known as the father inlaw of kari…
    [deleted] this is the weakest moment of BN. Is the best time for the Malaysian to fight back!

  6. #6 by Joetan on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 2:15 pm

    As long as the MPs are from BN espeacially UMNO there wont be any severe punishment meted out to them. In short, these MPs as well as those big shots in UMNO enjoyed immunity in Malaysia. If these MPs were in other countries especially the first world countries, probably they cant escape from severe punishment and would probably have resigned voluntarily. Just look at those who uttered racial remarks at the last UMNO assembly. They were not charged with the sedition Act even though police reports had been made. They escaped with only a warning and thats it. The case has die down after sometime.

  7. #7 by bennylohstocks on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 2:44 pm

  8. #8 by yeohts on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 2:56 pm

    The two blokes sure found a tough, persistent opponent in you. Teach them and people like them a lesson, otherwise these people think they can get away with all sorts of actions in the government. Malaysians want MPs who can conduct themselves with dignity in Parliament, not jokers who open their mouths without thinking first.

  9. #9 by Jimm on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 3:16 pm

    YB LKS,
    I believe we have come to a point that we let the public to decide on this reaction. Your team have done more than enough to bring serious attention from people from all over. It’s time to move on like a gentlemen.
    I would like to thank you all for the great work during the parliament session.
    We have other issue to follow up from here.
    Once again, THANK YOU.

  10. #10 by osaya on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 4:02 pm

    i can see how people may feel that this is really close to “flogging a dead horse”.

    however, a major political flaw with most malaysians is that we tend to forgive and forget too quickly. when someone does something wrong and/or illegal, we grumble a bit, joke about it, and then forget about it.

    honestly, i feel that this is “yesterday’s news” as well.. but think about it properly. is it over? have we truly resolved the issue?

    no, i don’t think so. the offending parties have not shown true remorse, learnt from this or been punished for their trangressions.

    as bored as we may become with this issue – or any others – it is our civic duty to make sure that national ‘leaders’ face appopriate consequences for their speech and actions. if not, this pattern will just repeat itself over and over and over and over and over and………

  11. #11 by negarawan on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 4:24 pm

    This approach will backfire on the opposition. I think its time to move on. This is not an election issue, and is becoming a little petty

  12. #12 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 4:55 pm

    /// Godfather Says:
    May 22nd, 2007 at 11:13 am
    Kit:
    Stop flogging a dead horse.

    paix Says:
    May 22nd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
    Keep tightening the screws until they cry uncle. These 2 sob’s deserve no mercy. ///

    Two posts, right next to each other, but poles apart.
    How’s is the Honourable LKS going to react? He can’t please both at the same time!

  13. #13 by Educator on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 5:08 pm

    Godfather says,”Stop flogging a dead horse.”
    I say the “horses” are not dead until the PM says something;
    anything for that matter.

    Perhaps PM has to find out how many votes those two MPs gathered for UMNO (and how much political clout they have) before he makes a “wise” decision. Somehow DPM had defended them first. Can anybody please enlighten me? Did this gesture come from PM or did he do it on his own?

    The Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is obviously the “fall guy.” Perhaps she wants to change her constituency from Bangsar to another where women voters are not significant in numbers.

  14. #14 by Irene on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 6:15 pm

    Do not stop. It is not over. Go ahead until the PM gave a statement and if the PM dare says STOP THIS ISSUE I think it high time Malaysians expecially the women :-
    OPEN OUR EYES BEFORE YOU CAST YOUR VOTES COMING NEXT ELECTION WHICH IS ROUND THE CORNER.

    So people might think that DAP is still harping on a stale issue BUT this issue has not been resolved. They are just twisting their tongue by saying: If the statement they made have offended women then they apologize to all the women.

    REMEMBER They have offended Po Kuan in Parliament, THEY MUST APOLOGIZES IN PARLIAMENT.

  15. #15 by lianchan on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 6:27 pm

    The only Man with guts in Malaysia – the great LIM KIT SIANG. I salute you.

  16. #16 by k1980 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 6:35 pm

    http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2007/05/more-pics-video-rm8-billion-pay-rise.html

    Will the RM8billion pay hike win the votes the 1,002,040 civil servants in the country and another 557,033 retirees to the BN? Will it cause more productivity and reduce graft among the civil servants?

  17. #17 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 7:28 pm

    “REMEMBER They have offended Po Kuan in Parliament, THEY MUST APOLOGIZES IN PARLIAMENT.” Irene

    No, the two have offended all right thinking Malaysians of both genders, both sides of the political divide, irrespective of race and religion.

    It is not a gender issue and never was. Should never have been. Their behavior is deplorable to say the least and speaks ill of the country and Parliament. It is not as if worse or like utterances were never made before in Parliament.

    Let us all see it for what it really is.

  18. #18 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 7:31 pm

    This issue has been politicized by all parties. I wish it would stop.

  19. #19 by HJ Angus on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 8:23 pm

    This issue should not have arisen if the Speaker had been doing his job diligently.

    He could have asked the 2 MPs to apologise immediately instead of allowing the matter to get out of hand.

    However our Speakers tend to be very lopsided in their approach to disciplining BN members.

  20. #20 by ahkok1982 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 9:16 pm

    well, it will b another field day for uncle kit because semi value has now made a degrading remark on women. i read somewhere in the newspaper that he was comparing the bocor parliament building to a beautiful woman saying that a beautiful woman now will not be beautiful anymore 50 years later and similarly, a beautiful building now will require maintenance 50 years later. or something like that…
    well, since you already have the attention and backing of ASEAN, why not add semi value to the list of MCP bigots? and also advise semi value that such a comparison should not have been said… instead he should say that an ugly guy now will be come even uglier 50 years later when all his hair falls off and he needs to wear a toupee to cover his ugly bald head. bn idiocy knows no bounds…

  21. #21 by Oldman on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 9:17 pm

    It is important that we must have MPs who are principled and upright whether from the ruling party or opposition. So far all that I have seen seem to indicate many “spineless” MPs in Parliament today. They have indeed failed to stand-up for what’s right without fear or favour. What a crying shame!

  22. #22 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 9:44 pm

    Whooooooooooooops! Wrong thread!

  23. #23 by Asiana888 on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 10:29 pm

    YB Lim. I think no need to waste more time on this issue as we all know who these 2 MPs are. I will be surprised if they will get to stand in next GE.

    Two things I want to ask.

    1. Did all MPs also got pay rise?
    2. Will is be possible to transfer voters from one constituency to another… of course to provide them with new address at the new constituency? If yes then you may want consider strategically move voters (from Bkt Bintang) to other places Bukit Gasing, Bkut Lanjang, etc.

    Good luck!

    P/S Now with pay rise announced, the Opposition will be facing an even bigger uphill task.

  24. #24 by lakshy on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 11:06 pm

    The parliament is bocor, so they do need to apologize when they said they were defending Bn against harassment from opposition MPs. In this case, subsequent events have shown the MP for Bg was correct. So they should apologize. Their failure to do so, should result in suspension. Lets not make a mokery of our parliament.

    Of course it willhelp greartly if the PM moves away from his silent elegance.

  25. #25 by Boneka on Tuesday, 22 May 2007 - 11:25 pm

    YB LKS,

    Yes I agree with Asiana888, for how long are you going to waste your time trying to make “Men” of two ball-less fellows who lack basic leadership qualities. We all know a real “Man” would have apologised to the YB Fong personally and NOT to all women, which “shame of shame” YB Dato Sharizat was happy with. Didn’t she know that the two fellow made a public fool of her with their fake apologise?

  26. #26 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 12:51 am

    k1980 Says:Will the RM8billion pay hike win the votes the 1,002,040 civil servants in the country and another 557,033 retirees to the BN? Will it cause more productivity and reduce graft among the civil servants?

    A more realistic figure should be: 1.7 million civil servants, including the police ,arm forces and retirees. The Malays have big families and a very conservative figure will be another four eligible voters in each family; this will work out to be 8.5 mil. With this euphoria of super pay hike, we can now safely estimate about 80% will favor the BN or precisely UMNO. (Only about 5% of the civil servants are non-Bumis) and this works out to about 6.8 mil. But out of these lets say only 75% turn out to vote, (some spoilt votes inclusive), hence making it 5.1 mil.. Hence by having this pay exercise they got an extra of 2.55 mil voters. (Assuming that the 50% would have gone to the opposition if not because of the euphoria of the pay hike)
    This and including all those “tayangan” of friendly Chinese gestures are strong signals that election is just around the corner.

  27. #27 by Jimm on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 7:57 am

    Well, the pay rise are very much a show to my personal opinion. Domestic spending are weaker lately and BN Government knew that they have to come out with a comprehensive plan to keep things looking good. Those big bosses businesses are affected by the domestic environment and ask government to ‘assist’ as they cannot hold any low prices due to international trade environment. So, BN Government work out a plan for the rise so that those bosses can also rise their product price in the local market. At the end, these cash flows back to them ‘just nice’ to cushioned off their business ‘losses’

  28. #28 by Jimm on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 7:57 am

    It’s not a racial matter pertaining to pay rise… please ..

  29. #29 by hawaiichee on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 8:41 am

    Uncle Lim

    Please feature another 2 more sexist remarks, this time from Penang. Eversince Independence, gender relations has instead declined and is heading down the cliff if women do not stand up for their rights and silent of these narrow minded ulamas. The time has come for women take equal position with these ulama.

    Two Penang reps make an issue of women’s dressing

    PENANG: After the recent “bocor” (leak) controversy in the Dewan Rakyat, one would have thought that backbenchers would know enough to stay clear of sexist remarks.

    Not in the Penang state assembly.

    Permatang Berangan assemblyman Shabudin Yahaya and Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Jasmin Mohamed blamed women’s provocative dressing for sexual crimes, raising the hackles of Tan Cheng Liang (BN – Jawi).

    “The women’s dressing menggoda (lures) and mencabar (challenges) men,” said Shabudin, who interjected during Tan’s speech when debating the motion of thanks on the Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abas’s opening address.

    This prompted Tan to tick him off for his narrow thinking.

    “Even women who are covered from the head to the toe and two-year-old children have become rape victims. This shows that it has nothing to do with women’s dressing,” she said.

    Shabudin, who is state Islamic Religious Council president, then asked Tan for her views on a dress code for women and Jasmin rose to support it.

    Tan said she disagreed with a dress code, as women knew what to wear.

    Shabudin then interjected that men were sure to look when sexily attired women pass in front of them.

    “This is because there is a daya tarikan (attraction),” he said.

    Jasmin said that women who dressed provocatively also forgot their family responsibilities.

    Tan said the issue was not about the women’s dressing but the mindset of men.

    In his speech, Mansor Musa (BN – Batu Maung) rapped the two assemblymen for their sexist remarks, saying they were not showing a good example in the House.

    Tan also alleged that a Seberang Prai Municipal Council official had been signing the overtime claims of his workers when they did not do any extra work.

    Phee Boon Poh (DAP – Sungai Puyu) asked Tan to substantiate her allegations.

    However, Speaker Datuk Yahaya Abdul Hami disallowed the question, saying the reply should come from the concerned state executive councillor.

  30. #30 by Winston on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 12:40 pm

    # Jimm Says:
    May 22nd, 2007 at 3:16 pm

    “YB LKS,
    I believe we have come to a point that we let the public to decide on this reaction. Your team have done more than enough to bring serious attention from people from all over. It’s time to move on like a gentlemen.
    I would like to thank you all for the great work during the parliament session.
    We have other issue to follow up from here.
    Once again, THANK YOU.”

    I think that it is good for Uncle Lim to HARP on such matters until they are resolved.
    Many ministers have been riled by uncle’s incessant reminder of their wrong doings.
    This shows that what was said was getting on their nerves.
    In addition, it serves to reinforce the thinking of the public that such issues must not be so easily forgotten.
    I’m quite sure Jimm is aware that this is not the first time something like this has happened.
    Malaysians have a VERY short memory of the many misdeeds of the government which was masterfully utilised by the erstwhile PM for his own purpose.
    In a way this is the core of the problem facing our country. This has resulted in an unfit government being elected again and again.
    If the electorate can understand this concept, then the vicious circle will be broken.
    Then and only then will we have a government that serves the people instead of one that is self-serving.
    By all means, Uncle Lim should keep whacking them. You have my full support.
    To be a gentleman is to end up eating only the bones while those who are ungentlemanly ended up eating the steak!
    I’m sure Jimm don’t want to continue eating bones. We have been doing that for the last twenty-eight years at least. Twenty-two from the previous PM and three from the latest one.
    We are in such deep shit because we are so forgiving!
    Enough is enough.

  31. #31 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 4:52 pm

    YB, the horse is not dead till it’s dead!

    Continue to flog it so that the Cabinet will be forced to take a stand. After all, ASEAN Parliamentarians have already taken an overt stand and announced it. The Cabinet can only sweep the matter under it’s dirty carpet at its own peril.

    Malaysian women and all right-thinking persons must continue to express it’s outrage at the downright crassness and inconsiderate, brutish behaviour of BN male chauvinistic parliamentarians. There never was an axe to grind and nobody initiated or cooked up this meal (in Najib’s words) but BN MPs themselves who must take the full blame for such a massive embarassment for the nation.

  32. #32 by budu on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 7:06 pm

    What do you guys expect, Bung bocors only studied until primary VI. He never took part in school’s debate, that’s why he always interrupts, bcoz he doesn’t know when someone talks in parliament other keep their mouth shut and wait patiently for their turn.

  33. #33 by how 2 do ah on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 7:26 pm

    Yeah, what do u expect. Leaky Bung @ bocor keeps his brain in the smaller head which is near his balls. His bigger head cannot keep his brain, because it leaks. The other bocor man from Jasin, I don’t know u tell me. Anyway lets call these two goons bocor-man and let it be their nickname until they get down to their knees and cry MAMA. Hey that’s remind me how’s cicak-man and keluang man doing. Look out, coming to your TV screens this May, the return of the bocor-men from Kinabatangan and Jasin during Parliament debate. what wil they say this time. But I heard whispers from the lower Kinabatangan river that Bung @ bocor would be covering his mouth using sanitary towel during parliament to show that he is indeed remorseful.

  34. #34 by k1980 on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 9:29 pm

    http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0523/breaking2.htm

    Lybrel, made by drugmaker Wyeth, is meant to be taken every day to indefinitely stop monthly menstrual bleeding… Maybe the 2 monkeys from jasin and kinabatangan were its sales promoters and were trying to get women to buy the drug to stop their bocor-ing

  35. #35 by paix on Thursday, 24 May 2007 - 11:27 am

    Mr. (thank goodness you are not a datuk) Lim, we really admire you. We empathize with you having to work in the environment that you do on a daily basis. It must be tough to be able to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by a bunch of turkeys.

  36. #36 by chilipadi9 on Thursday, 24 May 2007 - 8:46 pm

    That clown from kinabatangan is a loose canon. You are right, his brain is in the other small head compartment in between his telurs (if he ever had one to begin with), hahaha. Just look at his face… don’t you think he looks like “Yoda” that green man with the pointed ears in Star Wars? Except mr. kinabatangan cannot keep his tincy wincy pea brain in his upper head due to the fact that it might just roll out of his ear.
    We should see these two from the hilarious point of view especially when they debate in Parliament. They look like two “beroks” going crazy over some bananas, hahaha.
    Instead of talking about serious issues you might as well talk to them in a uncivilised manner like squatting down, holding a banana in one hand & sticking the other hand’s finger into our nose while talking about what’s under the “kelapa punya tempurung. :-o
    So we now have “Yoda” & “Magilla Gorilla” as alien speciments as test subjects.hehehe

  37. #37 by chilipadi9 on Thursday, 24 May 2007 - 9:31 pm

    DIMANA DIA OTAK UDANG YODA DAN MAGILLA GORILLA…..
    KEDUA MEREKA ADA DIDALAM PARLIMEN…..
    DIMANA DIA OTAK MEREKA….
    OTAK MEREKA, DAH GOLENG MASUK DALAM LONGKANG………

    ooohhhhhhHHHHH..YODA MALI MAGILLA, ooohhhhhhHHHHH.. YODA MALI MAGILLA!
    ooohhhhhhHHHHH..YODA MALI MAGILLA, KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG

    “Oi! Oi!” (ader suara background lagik…..)

    YODA MALI MAGILLA, Oi Oi, YODA MALI MAGILLA, Oi Oi
    KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG…oooOOOOHHHH”

    Everybody!…let’s sing together!!!!!!! YODA MALI MAGILLA
    OI OI, YODA MALI MAGILLA, OI OI YODA MALI MAGILLA, KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG

    Everybody..c’mon!… clap your hand!… YODA MALI MAGILLA,
    OI OI, YODA MALI MAGILLA, OI OI, YODA MALI MAGILLA, KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG

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