Carol Chew's Sexist Billboards : NGOs and Seputeh Reacted

Previously I posted the entry Woman Sexist Against Another Woman in Seputeh . Carol Chew of MCA enacted several billboards around Seputeh in a campaign against Teresa Kok of DAP.

Oh Carol, what have you done? Now, you are in trouble. The major Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has started condemning your actions. People of Seputeh are already alert on this. It is only 5 days away from the Big Day 080308.

CIJ's Stand (got this in my mailbox)
CIJ condemns BN sexist approach to attack opponent

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) condemns the tactics used by MCA candidate for Seputeh Carol Chew in launching extremely sexist billboards against her opponent from DAP and incumbent Teresa Kok.

Chew was said to have launched the billboards which depict Kok as a "loose woman" who would two time her constituents.

"It is very disappointing that Chew, herself a woman, has stooped so low to attack her political opponent. Chew is like her colleagues in the Barisan Nasional who show disrespect to women and thrive in a patriarchal and sexist environment.

"We urge Chew to remove the billboards and apologise to Kok and all women in Malaysia as we take offence to the kind of politics the BN chooses to promote," said CIJ executive director Gayathry Venkiteswaran.

She said there is no meaning to the BN's decision of fielding more women candidates if it does not promote gender sensitive candidates, be they men or women. It is doubtful that the BN will be able to advance gender equality as their agenda if their candidates do not make an attempt to challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination.

Gayathry also expressed regret to the aggressive treatment shown to representatives of the Women's Candidacy Initiative 2 (WCI2) who were attempting to meet Sungai Siput incumbent and MIC president S. Samy Vellu on Sunday.

According to reports in Malaysiakini, the women were shoved and had their placards damaged as they tried to ask Samy Vellu his stand on gender equality.

"The agenda by WCI and the experiences faced by women show that there is an urgent need to demand for greater gender equality. If candidates like MCA's Chew cannot prove that they are different from their peers, then they must be rejected," she said.

JAG's Stand
From Sassy MP and Malaysiakini : Kok raps rival over ’sexist’ posters

Conduct ethical campaigns

In a related development, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) today expressed its disappointment with the two cartoon-styled billboards in the Seputeh constituency.

JAG said that the billboards depicted Kok in a manner that degraded her as a woman and trivialized her work as an MP.

“The sexualized cartoons of her (in a tight, bright red dress, red high heels and flitting from one “lover” to the next) sets women up as sex objects,” said the group in a statement.

“Sexist comments demean women and when made in relation to their work, violate their right to a safe working environment.

“This incident highlights again the need for mandatory gender sensitisation programmes for all members of political parties and MPs,” it added.

JAG urged all political parties to conduct their election campaigns on a more ethical basis.

People of Seputeh's Stand
Protest Against Sexist Caricature Bill Board


Teresa Kok's statements : This morning I called a press conference together with a group of residents and supporters at Happy Garden adjacent to the two offending sexist caricature on bill boards erected by MCA Seputeh. In reply, we have put up a banner with Chinese and English wordings stating: “MCA uses women to discriminate women”

Some women folks who came to the press conference were most enraged over the offending caricatures which appeared in the China Press today and took the MCA to task in the presence of many journalists.

Quite a number of reporters and photographers showed up, including main stream media like the Utusan Malaysia, The Star, NST, RTM2 Mandarin News and etc.

I told the press that I was quite surprised that Carol Chew has launched these sexist carricatures on bill boards. I said I was disappointed shocked that Carol told the China press yesterday that she did not find the caricatures as sexist or humiliating to women when it was explicitly offensive to women and more so defamatory.

Conclusion
Carol, I believe the females and residents of Seputeh area are waiting for your apology.

Updated 4th March 2008, 11.16 a.m.
The sexist billboards have been removed. The public is still waiting for an apology.