Pakatan or BN, sexism cannot be tolerated

In a political landscape where thorns far outnumber the roses, sexism tends to rear its grotesque head often. The list of culprits is long, and the latest addition happens to be Lim Guan Eng.

The Penang chief minister, who has since apologised, courted flak over his poor choice of words in describing the state opposition leader Jahara Hamid as a "racist grandmother".

Ironically, Lim has never condemned his male political rivals using such labels, choosing instead to focus on their positions as opposed to their roles as fathers or grandfathers.

Similarly, as a seasoned politician, he should have realised that Jahara (right) being a grandmother, mother and wife has nothing to do with the execution of her political duties or her remarks.

As for her supposedly being a racist, an accusation which Lim did not retract, that is a different matter altogether.

However, it is disheartening to see a leader, who has often spoken out against the sexist attitude of his political foes in the past, walking down the same road.

Lim was also among the first to denounce the action of a group of ex-servicemen, who staged a lewd dance routine outside the house of former Bersih chairperson S Ambiga, calling it sexual harassment.

And so, it is not surprising that even Ambiga found his description of Jahara to be inappropriate.

"I recall that Lim has in fact spoken against sexism. So his use of the word ‘grandmother' is undoubtedly unacceptable," she said.

"Women are constantly having to fight sexism in their daily lives and leaders should set a good example," she told Malaysiakini.

"I have very often cringed at statements made by our MPs when they make sexist comments and think they are incredibly funny, when they are not," she added.

However, Ambiga commended the chief minister for apologising.

On the same note, the former Bar Council president also took academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah to task for calling DAP MP Teresa Kok a "spinster".

Ambiga said that being an academic, who is often quoted in the mainstream media, Ridhuan should have known better.

No politician is above criticism

Meanwhile, the "grandmother" episode also revealed how those who support the opposition, are willing to defend the indefensible, with some even labeling it as a term of endearment.

Reports and commentaries on this issue published in news portals witnessed a slew of readers backing Lim, justifying his action, and criticising the writers instead.

A similar situation unraveled when the Selangor government announced an astronomical salary hike for its elected representatives.

Sharing her views on this trend, Ambiga cautioned Malaysians against such selective reactions to important issues.

She reminded the public that no politician on both sides of the divide is above criticism and scrutiny.

"There is no doubt that there are many who admire what Lim (left) has achieved in Penang... Sometimes under difficult conditions.

"But that does not mean he cannot be criticised. We must be fair and call all our leaders to account for the things they say and do," she added.