‘Ku Nan, why not castrate all men instead?’

YOURSAY | ‘Then women wouldn’t have to put up with sexual harassment and male stupidity.’

Dress shabbily to avoid harassment, Ku Nan tells women

David Dass: Senior ministers should strive to raise standards of behaviour among the people of the country. If women cannot walk the streets of our towns and cities without being harassed, then there is something wrong with us.

Our women do not usually dress immodestly. But it is not customary for Malaysian women to wear burkas or to deliberately make themselves look unattractive in order to avoid being harassed.

Should not Malaysian men be taught to behave themselves? We have had a scuffle take place before the prime minister and we have a motorist attacked because he sounded his horn before a surau during prayer time, is this excusable behaviour?

Female foreign tourists complain about being followed and subject to cat calls and lewd remarks. Wear shabby clothes and look unattractive is not an appropriate response.

Of course, that response provoked laughter. But it simply fed into a culture that does not respect a woman's right to walk the street without being harassed by rude behaviour.

Observing The Nation: I'm sad at both Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s response as well as the audience's insensitivity to the whole issue the questioner attempts to raise.

One seems to be a response of "shooting the messenger" or skirting the issue, and the other seems to take the question on security as a joke.

Again, I was not there so my comment may not mean much. But if Ku Nan had responded like, "If even the security guards do not make you feel safe, then there are issues with the management.

“I would suggest you to make use of XYZ channel to report it so that we can improve this together. I wouldn't want anyone to disturb my daughter, nor would I want anyone's daughter feeling there is no place where they can feel secure."

Perhaps such a response would make me feel that he does care. But again, it falls short of even a witty remark in my book... maybe he's too tired from all the TN50 events.

Anonymous #44199885: So, women should dress shabbily so that they do not attract the overzealous attention of men who can’t keep their hormones and base desires in check.

It is exactly this kind of thinking that shows a complete lack of awareness of the root of the problem and a complete lack of respect for women.

Ku Nan encourages men to behave like savages if a woman is not dressed shabbily. Is this the advice he gives his mother, wife, daughter and granddaughter?

Is this the kind of leadership Malaysians are depending on to take us to developed nation status? If yes, we are doomed.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s comments (on International Women's Day this year) sums it all up.

Tengku Adnan and the Umno crowd that cheered, clapped and wolf-whistled are all indeed stupid. That a minister can give such a sexist and condescending response to a woman's legitimate concerns is shocking to say the least.

It confirms in the minds of many that in Umno, women are treated as chattels and playthings for the rich and powerful.

Debater: Yes, this is like cutting the nose to spite the face. The right thing to do is to fight crime, not to blame the victims. If this is the qualities we have in our leaders, I worry about the future of this country.

The Price We Pay: God help women in Malaysia. And this comes from a sitting minister.

We should be condemning bad behaviour, trying to work out why our society behaves in such uncouth manner, and make our education system incorporate respect, including respect of women rather than suggesting that women dress shabby.

God Save Us: This was a response from a minister? And it received applause?

And this is the same minister who suggested that the streets of Kuala Lumpur be converted at night to racing tracks for Mat Rempits... rather than emphasise education and discipline. Indeed, I worry for this country!

Hplooi: Such profundity from Ku Nan. I am overwhelmed. Why not shut down all fashion houses or department stores. Better still make it mandatory for all girls, women, makcik to wear burqa. That should put all rapists at bay, right?

But somehow there's still a 'loop hole' in this argument. Ahhh yes, make every girl, woman, and makcik wear chastity belts (keys to be kept by their father, husband, male guardian, etc) with the burqa thrown in.

Now that would be failsafe. What was that about the police?

Beh Tahan: Instead of asking authorities to do their work properly, Ku Nan blames it on the women's dressing. A man who does not have self-control is like an animal.

Apa Ini?: The pathetic Ku Nan’s comment is only made more regrettable by the woman and her female and male colleagues present.

That they did not stand up and protest the sexism implied and instead applauded and laughed with him is a sad reflection of the secondary status women have in our society, or at least among the delegates there.

Newday: Ku Nan and the wolf whistlers, you are a misogynistic disgrace. I wonder where the women feel less safe now - at shopping malls or in the conference hall? I bet the latter.

This is clear sexual harassment by these male chauvinist pigs. I am ashamed to be a man in this country sometimes.

Clever Voter: Why blame the way women dressed? This minister should ask his male colleagues on the number of times they think of sex per day.

The obsession with the way women dressed, despite their conservative dressing, is one reason why productivity is low across the board.

It’s about time men do housework, only then they be so tired to think of anything, including this minister!

The Analyser: Why not castrate all the men instead? That would be totally effective way of resolving many problems.

Then women wouldn’t have to put up with both sexual harassment and male stupidity. They could get on with governing the country in a sane and sensible manner. - Mkini