Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun has caught flak again, this time over a video clip featuring actor Rosyam Nor that was deemed disrespectful of women.
The video shared on Rina’s TikTok account showed Rosyam speaking in a gangster-like manner, believed to be mimicking his “Tailong” character in the famous local thug movie “KL Gangster 2”, in what seemed to be a promotional video for the ministry’s entrepreneurship programme for women.
However, many, including female politicians from across the political divide, had taken issue with Rosyam’s choice of words where he appeared to be ridiculing women, saying that they “always get up late” and that he wanted to “hit all of you in the head”, and with Rina being all smiles watching the actor doing so.
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh in a statement regarded the video as a cheap publicity stunt that brings shame to the minister's position.
“This time, Rina’s video used insulting words such as ‘get up late’, ‘all women are always late’, ‘get up from sleep’ and ‘I want to hit you in the head’ - which are very disrespectful to women.
“And worse, Rina and an officer from the National Welfare Foundation could only stand still and were all smiles when these words were uttered inside the ministry’s office.
“Doesn’t Rina know that many women had to sleep late and wake up before dawn to make daily preparations for their families? Women had always been the victim of stereotyping and domestic abuse.
“How could a minister allow such a script and video to be used to promote the ministry's programme?” she asked.
Yeoh, who is a former deputy women, family and community development minister during the Pakatan Harapan era, also called for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to sack Rina.
Her sentiment was echoed by Selangor’s Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson Elizabeth Wong, who posted on her Instagram criticising Rosyam and Rina.
“You insulted women but at the same time, you want to organise programmes for women?
“And the women minister could just stand there behind him and smile?” she said.
Azalina: Just take out ‘women’ from ministry
BN’s Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said also criticised the video, telling Rina on Twitter this morning that she should take out the word “women” from her ministry’s name.
“To the minister, I think you should just change the ministry’s name to Family Development Ministry, and drop the word ‘women’ from it.
“That would make things easier. Because this seems to be a waste of the ministry’s efforts all these years fighting abuse against women,” she said.
Similarly, Wanita Umno deputy chief Norliza Abdul Rahim also issued a statement on the language used by Rosyam, advising the actor to be more careful when speaking about women in the future.
She also advised Rina to focus on more important matters in her work as a minister instead of making public appearances only after an issue had gone viral on social media.
"To Rosyam, I would like to advise you that in the future, if you are to speak about women, you should use appropriate language and not demeaning (women).
"This seems to be a small issue but women are sensitive. True that women can be comforted (pujuk) but if they have lost interest, women also have their self-worth. Please stop making fun of women.
"And to Rina, please focus on more important issues. Do not appear only after an issue has gone viral. For example, in the case of Bella, many had been asking what are you doing as follow up to this case?" she said, referring to the abuse case of a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome known as Bella.
Norliza also told Yeoh to look at the video in its full context and said the Segambut MP should stop "planting hatred" by not talking about the video's content as a whole and the objective of the promotional video.
Many social media users also expressed similar sentiments on Twitter and Instagram over the video, including in the comments section of Rina’s Instagram account where the video was shared.
However, TikTok users who reacted to the video largely had positive comments, welcoming the programme and Rosyam’s conduct in the video. - Mkini
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