Dyana sees red over Umno’s period remark

Only a person with caveman mentality can deny women the opportunity and right to hold positions of leadership in government simply because they have monthly periods.

KUALA LUMPUR: Dyana Sofya said that Umno has failed to promote women in politics judging from the stand they have taken that if a woman has periods she cannot become the menteri besar (MB) of Selangor.

Yesterday Umno legal adviser Hafarizam Harun said that Wan Azizah Wan Ismail may not be a suitable candidate for the Selangor menteri besar post because she has monthly periods.

Dyana who was a candidate at the recent Teluk Intan by-election said that this remark was not surprising when even the Umno Wanita Chief belittled her candidacy.

“It is precisely this sort of negative attitude by those in power that has constantly robbed women of opportunities to lead in this nation.

“Only a person with a caveman mentality can deny a woman the opportunity and right to hold a leadership position in government simply because she may not be able to perform certain ceremonial acts during “that time of the month,” even though she is perfectly capable of performing her governing and administrative obligations,” said Dyana.

She said obviously Hafarizam has never heard of three-term Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who is one of the most powerful leaders in Europe.

“Perhaps if he had watched the World Cup Final on Monday, he may have noticed Merkel in the audience, sitting next to the President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez de Kirshner. In case it is not obvious enough for Hafarizam, they are both successful women leaders.”

In the Muslim world, we had Benazir Bhutto who was the first Muslim woman to head a democratic government as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988. Her achievement was followed by Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991-1996 and again from 2001-2006.

If the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh had leaders with the same mental capacity of Hafarizam, these remarkable women would never have been allowed to rise to their eminent positions.

“Sadly in Malaysia, and in the year 2014, we still have leaders who think having menses is a handicap that disqualifies women from being a head of government.

“The reality is that the state constitution of Selangor simply specifies that the menteri besar must be a Malay Muslim. Nothing is mentioned about the gender of the said menteri besar.

As a lawyer, Hafarizam should respect the letter of the law and not try to blame societal sensitivities and taboos in rationalising the unsuitability of a woman for a menteri besar post.