Malacca Gerakan's nameless 'woman' branding raises eyebrows

Malacca Gerakan's ongoing social media campaign which prominently features two women who are intentionally kept anonymous has caused a minor stir among netizens for purportedly disrespecting women.

The campaign revolves around welfare work and video clips involving the two women who also serve as Malacca Gerakan's online spokespersons.

Their business cards simply introduce them as "女人" (woman) in big red Chinese characters, who are part of the "Gerakan Service Team", accompanied by a photograph of the women and mobile phone numbers.

When contacted about the attention received by the campaign, Malacca Gerakan chairperson Michael Gan Peng Lam explained this is a long-term branding strategy to address welfare issues and promote the party.

He said the first Gerakan service team was set up in May followed by a second team in August to reach out to the poor and use social media to contact relevant government agencies or local lawmakers.

"We are helping the needy, yet netizens are nitpicking on the name of our campaign," he said, expressing disappointment.

Gan explained that keeping the two women anonymous and making them the face of the campaign was also for practical reasons.

"Let's just say if the staff is not with us anymore, I can find other women to replace.

"That is part of the reasons we are referring to them simply as 'women'," he said.

Gan said he planned for a new campaign featuring "men" but the plan was shelved in view of the party having to prepare for the Malacca elections, which falls on Nov 20.

'Woman is a name and our brand'

He stressed that his campaign was not disrespectful to women.

"We can't do anything if (netizens) criticise us. They don't understand our long-term planning and strategy... I can't share (the plan) yet," he said.

One of the two women, who wished to be known only as "Miss Lee", said the branding was practical because most senior citizens they reached out to remember them as "women from Gerakan" instead of their names.

"There is no issue. Everyone's mother is a woman. 'Woman' in this sense is a name and our brand," Lee told Malaysiakini.

The other woman, who wish to be known only as "Kan", concurred with Gan by saying that the anonymous "woman" strategy was practical because the "woman" will be replaced eventually.

"It's just for branding effect," she said. - Mkini