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.

Woman Sexist Against Another Woman in Seputeh

... and I thought only men are sexist against women.


Picture from Jed Yoong's Seputeh Seat Sizzles .

I would like to plead to Carol Chew Chee Lin, age 27 of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) which is a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) to use a more gracious way of campaigning. As a person of the opposing party in Seputeh, you can attempt to question Teresa's capabilities but please respect an individual from the same sex.

Carol should bear in mind that Seputeh people are educated enough to know sexism is unacceptable. I recalled there was one particular year someone actually made a highly sexist remark on a lady. Seputeh people were deeply shocked. That guy lost in the election terribly. I hope that is not Carol's aspiration for her first ever election but one would never know what is on another's mind.

I wonder whether Carol would like it if Seputeh people were to discriminate her on the basis that she is young and new therefore stereotype her as incapable? That wouldn't be fair to her, right? I urge the Seputeh people not to judge Carol based on that.

I respect and trust that capable ladies can manage two seats with the help of her assistants. I am willing to give it a try. Besides, Gobind Singh Deo is contesting in Puchong.

Please read Teresa Kok's recent post : Carol Chew Made Sexist Cartoon Billboard Against Me . Please check out whether Malaysiakini is featuring this piece of news .....

Officers Fumed with Steam Over "Unclean" Girl

Still recovering from a shock from an incident reported in Malaysiakini, I chanced upon this article in The Star. Marina has an entry titled "Raid First, Talk Later". Rocky Bru's entry is "Why you shouldn't go sleeveless in an entertainment outlet". Sean-the-man posted an entry, comparing the entertainment outlet singer with various Malaysian artistes.

My comments in Purple.

Singer held over dressing


IPOH: The Perak Religious Department (JAIP) has ordered a singer to appear before the Syariah Court for “exposing her body” during a performance and “encouraging immoral activities”.

Goodness, that is overdressing? I mean, seriously. I think that is a decent dress which is not too showy of "anything". What were these people thinking anyway? Do people simply get over-erected, ermmm.. over-excited just by looking at a woman's shoulder and just a tiny patch of flesh at the back? This is scary. Besides, the word "exposing her body" is so subjective. I mean the face and hands are part of the body, right? Skin is part of the body, right? Are they expecting the women in Malaysia to "cover up" like Afghan women under Taliban?

Wow, that doesn't look human to me. It looks like "how a person dresses after a nuclear holocaust". You know, that type of suit that can avoid nuclear radiation. Now, let Lil'Kim show you what is "exposing your body". Let Lil'Kim show you how you can even do it with a burqa. Way to go Lil'Kim !



However, an indignant Siti Noor Idayu Abd Moin, 22, said she was wearing a sleeveless top and long pants when JAIP officers raided an entertainment outlet in Sunway City where she was performing on Tuesday.

Entertainer: Siti Noor Idayu was dressed in a white, sleeveless, top and long black pants when the officers from the religious department raided the entertainment outlet in Ipoh and detained her on Tuesday.

Bear in mind that in these two paragraphs the writer mentioned Siti's dress twice. Why? Perhaps the writer could not believe what is happening either.

“Our band had just finished and it was a little past midnight when they came in and rounded up all the Muslims.

“They asked to see our MyKad but one officer refused to touch the cards, referring to them as najis (unclean),” she said.

It is immoral to say someone is unclean before one is sure whether she has committed any offense. Furthermore, using such words towards another is downright rude.

Siti Noor Idayu said the JAIP officers later detained seven people, including four employees of the outlet, and brought them to the department office.

“They put us in a tiny room and turned up the air-conditioner. I heard one officer tell the other: Bekulah dia orang (Let them freeze),” she said.

It is immoral to torture a person you have caught.

Siti Noor Idayu also said the male officers kept taking photographs of her, adding that she was made to stay overnight in that room until 10am.

It is immoral to frantically take pictures of a female without her consent (violation of human rights) or detain a person overnight when she has not been proven guilty of anything.

She said the officer who finally came to record her statement at 8am, accused her of consuming alcohol and drugs, being involved in immoral activities, and that her MyKad was a fake.

“I took the breathalyser test twice and when the reading remained at zero, the officers looked frustrated.

“I heard one tell the other: Tapi dia tak minum lah (But she did not drink),” she said.

It is immoral and unlawful to accuse someone of something she didn't do. One is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way round. Furthermore, the JAIP officers did not state what are the "immoral activities" committed. For all we know, the harsh treatment by this bunch of JAIP officers are immoral and possibly unlawful.

Siti Noor Idayu said an officer even told her that the money she earned working in the outlet was duit haram (illicit money) and that her parents, children and future generations would all be tainted for using such money.

Why? I mean, she is not a stripper. She is not a drug dealer/pusher. Furthermore, the government of State and Country gets the expensive taxes paid by these so called "illicit" entertainment outlets.

There was a pay raise for government officers this year. So, where does government officers like JAIP get their money from? From taxes paid by the private sector. Ironic, really ironic.

Entertainment outlets are part of the private sector. Did someone mention about "generations tainted by illicit money"? "Tainted" people cannot become religious moral officers. Did I say anything wrong with that?

“They finally wrote me a notice accusing me of dressing sexily and encouraging immorality just because I sang there,” she said.

The notice ordered her to appear before the Syariah Court here on Aug 6.

When contacted, JAIP director Datuk Jamry Sury said he was confident that his officers had not acted outside of their jurisdiction in issuing the notice.

“According to Islamic laws, a Muslim woman is not allowed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband in a place where immoral activities usually take place,” he said.

Ohh really?! That is Islamic law? Are you sure about this, Jamry? Perhaps, JAIP director can launch a so-called "moral" task force. Is Siti Nurhaliza, the most popular singer in Malaysia liable? Don't forget to take Ella, Ning Baizura, Aishah, Ziana Zain, Sheila Majid and Noraniza Idris into consideration. I mean, they do perform in the presence of men who are not their husbands.

Furthermore, what constitutes a "place where immoral activities usually take place"? I have heard some unmarried people like to make out in the toilet, public gardens and even lecture rooms. This is such a subjective matter. If that's the case, JAIP might as well say "women cannot perform" and tie it with Islam.

Is that really Islam? From what I recall, Prophet Muhammad intended to save women from suppression, not the other way round.

Is public speaking or being a stand up comedienne a form of entertainment? Then, the women cannot be allowed to speak. Oh my, I do not know what to say.

Perhaps, JAIP and certain MPs in the Parliament can stop being sexist and treat the women with more respect. They have to understand that they come to this world from a women's womb. Without the female sexual organ, they will not be able to be created.

Nuff said...

Sexism in BM Dictionary: Terrible to be a Woman

THE second reprint of the fourth edition of the venerable door-stopper Kamus Dewan (2007) is out according to Amir Muhammad in the New Straits Times. So, what’s the fuss all about, you may ask.

According to the article:
"
But a gamelan performance, of all things, that I saw a few months ago did something interesting with the gender terms in the same dictionary. The women in this show simply read out the definitions of laki-laki (man) and perempuan (woman). A good actor is supposed to make the phone book seem like riveting material when reading it; but our dictionary doesn’t require much of an additional push.

The usage examples of laki-laki (on page 870) uniformly describe positive values: hatinya memang laki-laki (he has a manly heart). There’s also a bloke who sounds like a good catch: Alias memiliki sifat kelaki-lakian yang tulen, jujur, ikhlas, berhemah tinggi serta berupa kacak. (Alias has true masculine virtues, he’s honest and trustworthy, polite and dishy too).

Contrast this with the distaff side on page 1,182. You get penyakit perempuan (female disease, i.e. syphilis), perempuan gatal ("itchy", lascivious woman), perempuan jahat (bad woman), perempuan jalang (prostitute), perempuan joget (dance-hall girl), perempuan jungkat (another lascivious woman) and perempuan simpanan (mistress).
"

Wow, that's a mouthful of words. Everything to do with male is positive and for female it's negative. The other word for "laki-laki" is lelaki. If there is no discrimination, they should have added this for the males:
Lelaki miang (lascivious man), lelaki gatal ("itchy" man), lelaki curang (man who commits adultery), lelaki lembut ("softy" man),

Learnt some from this "Mengetahui Jenis Lelaki" (Know the types of Males) article in Cintagila Weblog :
Lelaki manja, Lelaki sensitif (sensitive man)

Tokeikedai Online wrote some as well:
Lelaki konservatif (conservative man), Lelaki hipokrit (hypocrite man), Lelaki anti-perempuan (anti-females man), lelaki feminin (feminine man).

Sometimes, who can females blame when their own breed makes sexist statements against themselves instead. A good instance would be some women leaders who called women maids from China as "little dragon ladies" and home-wreckers without understanding the situation.

Sometimes, Women Are Sexist Against Women.

Is it such a shame to be a woman these days? Where are the smart and independent women? They should come out and speak against all these.

In the process, please spare the man. Some of them are against such sexist attitudes. Amir Muhammad is a liberal man who brought the dictionary entries into notice.

How many more Carlo Fiorina, Angel Merkel, Indira Gandhi, Kim Dae-jung and Nina Wang are needed to convince the world to be rid of sexism?

Sometimes, Women are Sexist Against Women

Can We Stop Adultery ?

I have just read an article from The Star. Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Dr. Ng Yen Yen called to hold plans on ‘little dragon ladies’. Currently, she is opposing the plan of importing chinese maids to Malaysia. Chinese maids was said to cause family disharmony hence the opposition.

This is what she said:
" Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said that unless clear guidelines on the recruitment are laid out and the interests of local women protected, the political party wing is against the move. "

Seriously, I am not questioning Ng Yen Yen's intelligence but really curious with the ideas, plans and guidelines Home Affairs can produce in collaboration with Wanita MCA on...

"How to stop adultery between (local) men and (Chinese) women".

It will REALLY be interesting to read it. Hope that the plans come out in the form of a book similar to the "Dummies" series.

For your information, Adultery not only happens between Mainland Chinese women and local men. Local men and local women have extra-marital affairs as well.
_________________________________________

Chinese Women are Home-Wreckers?

The next verse coming from the supposed representative of the Malaysian Chinese women in Malaysia said:
“ These women are enticing local married men into having affairs with them and are causing family disharmony,” she said after chairing the wing’s central committee meeting here yesterday. "

Am I wrong to say that she is making a sexist stereotype on Mainland Chinese women?

As usual, whenever adultery happens, certain women likes to blame the third-party female as the enticers. Maybe these people should ask themselves the set of questions below before arriving at a poorly generalised conclusion:

1) In certain cases, isn't there a possibility that the man is the enticer? Why must it be mentioned only women? Whenever adultery happens, both the man and woman should be blamed. The judgment should not be one-sided.

2) Why can't they blame their man for not being able to control his sexual urge instead? It takes two hands to clap.

3) Why can't they blame themselves for choosing a man who can't stay true to the relationship?

4) Is it worth keeping a man who knows no loyalty to the woman he loves?

5) There are instances of local Chinese and Malay men committing adultery with Indonesian maids. Are we going to make such stereotypes against Indonesian women as well? Will there be maids for us if all of them are banned according to nationality?

6) Does ALL Mainland Chinese women come to Malaysia for such ill-gotten intention? Maybe majority BUT NOT ALL.

Should we blame adultery only on the women, my dear woman representative of MCA? What kind of woman are you?
_________________________________________

Rude Remarks

She further added:
" Ng, however, stressed to Bernama that Wanita MCA was in no way showing disrespect to women in China but was rather taking a realistic stand in looking after the well-being and happiness of local women and ensuring family values were safeguarded. "

Perhaps, Ng Yen Yen, all affected parties and Malaysians should put themselves in the Mainland Chinese women's place. Then, read and feel the words made. As a Mainland Chinese woman working in Malaysia to earn money for your family in China, you would be disappointed that others view you in such a perspective.

There is a high possibility that Ng Yen Yen, as a high-post politician would probably say that her statements are directed only against "little dragon ladies". Read the article from The Star and understand the implications carefully.

Am I wrong to say that the phrase below is the summary for the article?

" Ng Yen Yen told Home Affairs Ministry to hold on plans to import (Mainland) Chinese maids because of (Mainland) Chinese women wrecking Malaysian families "

Tell me that is not a generalised disrespectful statement towards Chinese women? Try to convince me if her words do not sound accusative and stereotypical towards (Mainland) Chinese women. Try to assure me if her words do not sound discriminatory towards Chinese nationals.

Sometimes, women are sexist against women.
_________________________________________

Why can't we use a more Refined Approach?

I appreciate Wanita MCA's stand against the sexist MPs from BN regarding the "Bocor" comments. Ng Yen Yen described their deeds as "vulgar and crude".

It is probably true that there are incidents of adultery concerning local men and Mainland Chinese maids. It is mostly true that Wanita MCA in the form of its chief claimed they were unable to do anything to resolve the local women's plight.

Perhaps, stopping the import of Chinese maids may be a temporary solution.

The main problem is, as a major educated leader of the Chinese community, she should have used a more refined approach to halt the plan...

1) She should have said this:

" Wanita MCA requests Home Affairs Ministry to halt the plans of importing Mainland Chinese maids due to family issues voiced by local women "

" Local women complains of adultery between their men and Chinese maids. Wanita MCA aims to voice these concerns and attempt achieve an amicable solution with Home Affairs Ministry that will be advantageous to all parties "

instead of this:

" Ng Yen Yen told Home Affairs Ministry to hold on plans to import (Mainland) Chinese maids because of (Mainland) Chinese women wrecking Malaysian families "

Whoa there!!! Would you like to be a Mainland Chinese women after that statement? I wouldn't want to.

2) Otherwise, she should have met the Home Affairs Minister and try to get him to halt the plans behind-the-scenes. Provide better reasons for halting the plan such as legal issues, etc. etc.

Bear in mind, China is fastly becoming a major trading power. Ng Yen Yen should be reminded that 2007 is Visit Malaysia Year.

As a representative of a constituency and the women community, educated politician, I am very sure that Ng Yen Yen could have issued more professional, polite and refined statements rather than using insensitive and blunt comments.

Malaysian, especially Ministers should be courteous at all times.

_________________________________________

Reference websites

Dr Ng Yen Yen's official site
KTemoc -Wanita MCA: "No, no, no to Suzie Wongs"