Uproar over PAS MP’s sexist remark

Incident occurs during debate on how Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has changed over the years.

DEWAN RAKYAT

Pasir Putih MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh came under fire for his remarks in the Dewan Rakyat.

KUALA LUMPUR: A commotion erupted in the Dewan Rakyat today following a “sexist remark” uttered by a PAS MP against a female Pakatan Harapan MP.

The incident occurred when Nor Azrina Surip (PH-Merbok) had taken Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PAS-Pasir Putih) to task for using an unfair figure of speech against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“It is my view that the Pasir Putih representative could have used a better figure of speech concerning fake news when he said someone was once bad and is now good.

“As long as you are still alive, can you say that you will be a good person until the very end?

“This is why I say that kind of figure of speech is not fair because we came together for a common goal,” she said.

Nik Muhammad then responded to her remarks by saying that “itu dia orang perempuan, dia berhujah” (there you have it, a woman speaking).

This then sparked calls from PH MPs, such as Azrina and Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang), for Nik Muhammad to retract his words, saying it was sexist and discriminatory.

Earlier, Nik Muhammad had replied to a question raised by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), who had asked him to explain his views on Mahathir (PH-Langkawi), and the differences between when the prime minister was in Barisan Nasional (BN) and now in PH.

“Langkawi (Mahathir) was bad while in Umno, but is now good in PH,” he said.

Nik Muhammad also likened the adding of the Anti-Fake News Act to the existing pool of laws as taking another wife.

“This does not mean that the first, second and third wives are bad. Taking a fourth wife may make things better,” he added. -FMT