'Try tying a coconut around your stomach' - Sik candidate blasts Kedah MB

 

GE15 | Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Sik, Latifah Md Yatim, has lambasted Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for his seemingly chauvinist remarks belittling female candidates contesting in the seat in the general election. 

Asserting that mothers have greater self-resilience, Latifah (above) said Sanusi might try tying a coconut around his stomach like an expectant mother.

“Believe that women’s resilience is greater. That’s why God allows women to conceive children.

“Try to take a coconut and tie it to his stomach. While a woman is pregnant for nine months it’s like pawning her life. We’ll ask if he (Sanusi) can manage it?” she told Malaysiakini.

She said this after attending a programme at the Pokok Sena constituency in Kedah last night.

‘Better to vote for a man’

Earlier, Sanusi, in a video that went viral on social media yesterday, criticised BN’s move to field female candidate Maizatul Akmam Othman in the Sik parliamentary contest.

Sanusi said that, without meaning to demean PAS Muslims, the area is vast and rural with many poor residents. He claimed it might be beyond the capabilities of women to serve there.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor

“In Sik, which is vast, rural, there are a lot of people facing difficulties. People call representatives no matter what time of the day, morning, midnight, or early in the morning, they call. If the representatives are female, can they help?

“At three o'clock in the morning, we can imagine a woman getting up from sleep. She wants to go help the people coping with floods. She wants to get ready to leave the house, it might take her two hours.

“It’s more appropriate to vote for a man in Sik.

“Another one (Latifah) is close to 70 years old. We know her father, but we don’t know her. What I want to tell you is not to vote for her,” he said.

Sik will witness a three-cornered clash between Latifah and Maizatul Akmam facing incumbent Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman, who represents Perikatan Nasional.

Latifah, who is also the former director of the MACC in several states, said she was always ready, 24 hours a day when carrying out her duties as an officer.

“As MACC officers, we are considered to be on duty 24 hours a day, in the middle of the night we get orders to carry out demolitions and raids. The time is uncertain.

“He can’t say that and disparage women. Even in PAS, there is a large percentage of women who contest. It doesn’t make sense for him to say that,” she said.

‘An insult to all women’

Meanwhile, Maizatul Akmam dubbed Sanusi’s comment as an insult toward all women.

“The remark may have been directed toward me as the candidate here, but it belittles the ability of all women in general. I don’t see the comment in the context of Sik alone, but all women.

“The other parties are fielding women candidates at other places too. In fact, PAS is also fielding Muslimats. I consider this (Sanusi’s remark) as an insult to all women,” she was quoted telling Utusan Malaysia.

Incumbent Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has also weighed in on the matter, saying Sanusi should apologise and retract the remark.

“As a former MP, I believe women’s ability to help is equal to men’s. When there is an emergency, not only elected representatives, but everyone will act immediately.

“As a menteri besar, he (Sanusi) should respect women. Besides, his remark is also outdated and reflects his chauvinistic outlook on women,” said Maria, who is not defending her seat, further urging women to not vote for leaders like Sanusi. - Mkini