Joint Media Statement by ASEAN MPs (and former MP) from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia in Tokyo on Tuesday, 22nd May 2007:
Sexism by two male MPs in Malaysian Parliament on May 9 an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women — deserves fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society as sexism has no place in a progressive ASEAN
We, the undersigned ASEAN MPs (and former MP) attending an international conference in Tokyo have decided to issue the following joint statement:
We are very distressed by the rank sexism in the Malaysian Parliament on May 9 when two male MPs made crude vulgar, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks at the woman MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan, which have been regarded as a shame and dishonour to Po Kuan, Malaysian Parliament, Malaysian women and Malaysia’s international reputation.
It is more than that — it is also an affront and outrage to all ASEAN MPs and ASEAN women and deserves the fullest condemnation by all ASEAN Parliamentarians and ASEAN civil society as sexism has no place in a progressive ASEAN.
In fact, it is also a global affront and outrage, which was why MPs and State Legislators attending the GlobalPOWER (Partnership of Women Elected/Appointed Representatives) 2007 Conference in Washington May 7 — 11, 2007 was the first global response to the “sexist and demeaning statements that male Members of Parliament in Malaysia made to their women colleagues”.
The GlobalPOWER 2007 statement, issued by woman Parliamentarians from four continents, i.e. Asia, North America, Europe and Africa who attended the Conference, pledged that they “stand in solidarity with our sisters in the Parliament of Malaysia and demand that the Parliament censure the Members who verbally insulted and denigrated their colleagues”.
The GlobalPOWER 2007 statement said:
“We declare that these remarks are an affront not only to our sister, the Honorable Fong Po Kuan and other women MPs in Malaysia, but to all women elected officials worldwide, to the women of Malaysia and, indeed, to all women worldwide. “The failure of the leaders of Parliament to take action to censure the offending Members makes the entire Parliament complicit in this behavior. The failure to act further implies that this sexist behavior is acceptable and will continue to be tolerated and condoned by Parliament. This is unacceptable to all of us who, as Members of Parliament, stand in solidarity with our sisters in Malaysia and worldwide.”
It is most regrettable and deplorable that 12 days after the unacceptable exhibition of male chauvinism in the Malaysian Parliament, there has been no proper and honourable closure of the disgraceful incident and the two errant MPs had been able to get away with their deplorable conduct with impunity.
We fully agree that the seeming apologies which the duo had made last Friday merely added insult to injury, as they were not genuine apologies at all on close examination but back-handed justification of their unacceptable sexist conduct.
There was not only no remorse or contrition on the part of the duo for their sexual harassment of Po Kuan and insult to women of Malaysia, ASEAN and the world, they stubbornly made clear their intention to repeat their irresponsible conduct if the same set of circumstances presented themselves again!
In the era of information and communications technology, we are now in a borderless world. ASEAN will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Both these factors must be inspiration for ASEAN MPs to come together to express the ASEAN community spirit for justice, fair play, freedom, solidarity and respect for women, children and family.
Let the Po Kuan case be the first for ASEAN MPs to act and declare that an affront to and attack of a woman MP in one ASEAN country because of her gender is an affront and attack on all women and men MPs in ASEAN and deserves the fullest denunciation of the ASEAN Parliamentary community and civil society.
We endorse as an acceptable ASEAN formula the five-point penalty for the two recalcitrant MPs as proposed by the public forum “Respect Women’s Dignity Towards a 1st World Parliament” in Kuala Lumpur on 17th May 2007, viz:
1. Six-month suspension as MP.
2. Six-month community service with women groups.
3. Donation of the their entire parliamentary allowance during suspension to women groups.
4. Full apology to Fong Po Kuan and Malaysian women.
5. If no full apology, the six-month suspension and community service to be extended to 12 months.
Signed:
Senator Aquilino P:imentel (Senate Minority Leader, Philippines)
Nursyahbani Katjasungkana (MP — Indonesia)
Lim Kit Siang (Parliamentary Opposition Leader — Malaysia)
Son Chhay (MP — Cambodia)
Buranaj Smutharaks (Former MP — Thailand)
Tokyo 22nd May 2007