Body shaming: Women leaders urge Zahid to take responsibility; authorities detain Israel-bound containers

 

Body shaming

- DAP Women national publicity secretary Heng Lee Lee has urged Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take responsibility for his remarks about the appearance and weight of Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad at the Umno general assembly.

In a statement today, she said Zahid should stop dismissing the remarks as a joke and letting his daughter, Nurulhidayah, apologise on his behalf.

Drawing comparisons with Japan, Heng (below) said former prime minister Yoshiro Mori and Tokyo Olympics creative director Hiroshi Sasaki had faced backlash, apologised and resigned over remarks deemed discriminatory towards women.

She said the incidents showed that those in higher positions must bear greater responsibility for their words.

- In a separate statement, Amanah Young Women's wing deputy chief Aishah Zain echoed Heng's sentiment in demanding that Zahid personally apologise and take responsibility.

“Noraini has the right to be judged based on her abilities and service, without her body and age being used to belittle her,” Selangor Today reported her as saying in a statement.

While welcoming Nurulhidayah's apology, Aishah lamented that the culture of making women’s appearance the subject of jokes could undermine women’s confidence in entering politics.

She also referred to Surah al-Hujurat, verse 11, which clearly prohibits mocking, insulting and giving offensive nicknames.

Anti-Israel policy

Malaysian authorities detained three more containers on Aug 19 bound for Israel at Tanjung Pelepas while investigating their contents, Bloomberg reported.

The containers, said to be bound for Ashdod Port, south of Tel Aviv, were reportedly still being held at the port almost a month later.

Bloomberg said the containers were carrying electric bicycle parts shipped by Chinese manufacturer Chongqing Mobimax Technology Co, according to manifests it saw.

Previously, the authorities seized an Israel-bound container on Aug 7.

Agriculture

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu instructed his lawyers to issue a legal notice to several social media users who allegedly issued false statements regarding delays in fertiliser supplies to paddy farmers in Kedah.

In a Facebook post today, Mohamad (below) said that while online platforms provide space for people to voice out, account owners are responsible for uploaded content.

In his posting, the Amanah president shared a screenshot of a separate post which questioned the MACC’s probe into the policy, implementation, and tender processes for the fertiliser supply. - Mkini