Is Syed Saddiq a man? Umno Youth chief mocks minister

SEMENYIH POLLS

 | Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has mocked Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman over a charge against a blogger for insulting the modesty of the youth and sports minister, saying that the law invoked has previously only been used in the cases of women or 'pondan' (effiminate men) being insulted.

This comes after blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, was slapped with two charges in connection with the alleged assault on Syed Saddiq during nomination day for the Semenyih by-election. 

The Umno Youth executive council member was charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code for intending to insult the modesty of the minister by saying to him, “Ko bodoh" (you are stupid), and under Section 323 of the same law for voluntarily causing hurt to Syed Saddiq.

“Section 509 has not been used on any male. According to lawyers, this provision is normally used by women or ‘pondan’ who feel harassed.

“In Malaysian history, this is the first time a man – if he is a man - was alleged (to be the victim) under this section,” claimed Asyraf during a ceramah in Taman Semenyih Indah last night.

Asyraf further mocked Syed Saddiq for being 'easily injured' as he was allegedly hurt when Papagomo held his shoulder, and also hurt by the word 'bodoh'.

“Apparently, this youth and sports minister’s heart is fragile like tissue; not only his heart but also his body is also like tissue,” he mocked.

In fact, the original wording of Section 509 of the Penal Code was “word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman” before it was amended in 1989 to change it into “word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a person”, given that the victim of insults may not necessarily be a woman.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua was convicted under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting the modesty of a police officer with words including "bastard" and "stupid police" in 2014. 

Additionally, lawyer Siti Kasim had been expected to be charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code for showing her middle finger to an audience at a forum in 2016. However, the instruction to charge Siti Kasim was eventually cancelled. - Mkini