Both sides flay PAS MP for dress code remark
Several leaders from both sides of the political divide today stood together condemning PAS Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff's call to enact laws to prevent women from wearing "indecent" clothing in order to curb sexual crimes.
Several leaders from both sides of the political divide today stood together condemning PAS Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff's call to enact laws to prevent women from wearing "indecent" clothing in order to curb sexual crimes.
Leaders from both BN and Pakatan Rakyat made their stand clear in cyberspace when responding to a 'twitterthon' initiated by the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) with the twitter tag #NoExcuseForRape.
Seremban MP Anthony Loke (
left
) and Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching were the two DAP MPs who gave the thumbs down on their ally.
"The idea to use dress code to solve rape not only insults women, but insults men as well," Teo tweeted.
Loke retweeted two tweets from WAO that said "Short skirts do not cause rape, rapists do", and "Real men treat women with respect, rapists don't."
Even DAP's official twitter account 'dapmalaysia' also urged twitter users to join the 'twitterthon' to "raise public awareness on rape issues, stigma, stereotypes..."
Youth and Sports Minister and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar's tweet that said "There is #NoExcuseForRape" was retweeted over 400 times.
Pakatan gets hit with quills
MCA's Bentong MP Liow Tiong Lai lent his support to the campaign by tweeting "Let's be clear about this. There is #NoExcuseForRape."
Tebrau MP Khoo Soo Seang from MCA issued a statement today urging Pakatan to state their stance on the "absurd and thoughtless" remark.
"Since Pakatan constantly talks about protecting and improving women's rights and increasing employment among women, then what is their stand on this recent statement by a PAS MP?
"As a woman leader in PAS, it is disappointing to note that she has not only failed to correct this mistake and misconception common to PAS leaders, but to also echo the same ignorant thought and stance," said the first-term MP.
MCA Wanita chief Yu Chok Tow (l eft ) in another statement pointed out that Siti Zailah's remark has displayed the Islamic party's conservative mentalityabout women.
"Wanita MCA urges all women MPs, including those from the opposition, to condemn this suggestion by PAS.
"Since DAP has been constantly defending PAS by telling the public that they have become more moderate, it is thus necessary for them to be seen speaking out against this regressive suggestion."
'PAS striving to impose dream'
Yu said the remark can also be seen as another method for the implementation of PAS's conservative policies.
"It has always been PAS' dream to implement their conservative way of life onto others and their policies are biased and unfair towards women, and it is disappointing to note that even their women leaders have subscribed to this backward way of thinking," she added.
Yesterday Siti Zailah, who is also the PAS Muslimat chief, told Parliament that short pants and short dresses were "among the factors" for sexual crimes.
"This culture of women wearing short pants... it is indecent. Take for example the dressing of stewardesses," she said.
Besides urging the government to enforce such a code, which she said would also help prevent sexual harassment, Siti Zailah also blamed BN for the "new phenomenon" of "indecent" dressing among women.
"Maybe this (trend) is because BN leaders (are) bringing in artistes from (South) Korea," she added.
