NGO angry House let off serial offender MP over 'pondan' slur

Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) said it was outraged when Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was let off by the Dewan Rakyat despite using the pondan (transvestite) slur against fellow Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto in the House.

"Empower is appalled to read reports that Azeez had used the slur pondan against a female MP during a debate and further compounded his offence the next day by calling another MP an apek and telling him to balik tong san (go back to China).

"We are further outraged that the speaker did not censure him for the use of these derogatory terms; merely that he should retract the use ofbalik tong san," said Empower president A Janarthani.

Janarthani urged Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia (photo) and BN to take belated action and censure Azeez for his unparliamentary and derogatory remarks.

She also called for a review of Parliament's Standing Orders to prohibit sexist, racist and bigoted remarks.

"The Baling MP appears to enjoy the absence of any possible reprimand... (this) reflects a political scenario where sexist, homophobic and transphobic words are freely used against perceived opponents and where ethnic minorities are demonised or summarily ignored as unimportant.

"His impunity also reflects a country where women make up only 10.4 percent of the 222 parliamentarians and face multiple layers of discrimination, even in being nominated as election candidates," she said.

Uncouth remarks unbecoming

Janarthani noted that Azeez was a repeat offender when it comes to such antics in Parliament.

"He was the same MP who said in April that non-Muslim women should not be invited to mosques because they mungkin bocor (might be menstruating), in response to the Kulai MP (Teo Nie Ching) being invited to a function in a surau.

"These uncouth remarks are unbecoming of not only his office as an MP, but also as the chairperson of Lembaga Tabung Haji’s board of directors," she said.

Azeez had used the slur on Tuesday in the House after Kasthuri, who was speaking on Orang Asli issues, refused to allow the Baling MP to interject.

Azeez was let off the hook after Pandikar accepted his explanation that the slur was not directly aimed at Kasthuri when he said that she was 'worse than a pondan'. -Mkini