Sexism is hard to hide and a dangerous beast to harbour in one’s consciousness, especially if one is a politician.
Gerakan man Baljit Singh found this out the hard way when he proposed, supposedly tongue-in-cheek, during the party’s annual general assembly that the party field “beautiful, sweet, energetic, sexy” young women to win elections. “If you can put in young girls, beliawanis, even better. The ripple effect is there,” he said.
What really kicked the hornet’s nest that night was the example he gave of the Teluk Intan by-election in 2014, which Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong won against DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.
“They put a young Malay girl there,” he said. “I saw her as a young Malay girl. I didn’t see anything else.”
That line is telling.
Dyana clearly thought so as well, since she responded nearly immediately with a statement chastising Baljit for his speech.
Gerakan man Baljit Singh found this out the hard way when he proposed, supposedly tongue-in-cheek, during the party’s annual general assembly that the party field “beautiful, sweet, energetic, sexy” young women to win elections. “If you can put in young girls, beliawanis, even better. The ripple effect is there,” he said.
What really kicked the hornet’s nest that night was the example he gave of the Teluk Intan by-election in 2014, which Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong won against DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.
“They put a young Malay girl there,” he said. “I saw her as a young Malay girl. I didn’t see anything else.”
That line is telling.
Dyana clearly thought so as well, since she responded nearly immediately with a statement chastising Baljit for his speech.
“In Pakatan Harapan,” she said, “we encourage intelligent, dedicated and brave young women to join politics because they are capable, patriotic and hard working, making them winnable despite their physical attributes.
“Meanwhile, the Gerakan leader and many others who are on his side of the fence prefer to sexually objectify women in politics with cheap rhetoric as if Malaysian voters vote according to their sexual urges instead of their brains.”
Baljit has since tried to defend himself, and several of his colleagues in Gerakan have come to his defence. He said he used the word “sexy” as a reference to Wanita Gerakan vice-chief Azmar Md Alias, and that he had discussed the reference with her before he made his speech.
“For those who do not know her, especially the reporter, she is a grandmother,” he said. “I spoke to her earlier and she was okay with it.
“Meanwhile, the Gerakan leader and many others who are on his side of the fence prefer to sexually objectify women in politics with cheap rhetoric as if Malaysian voters vote according to their sexual urges instead of their brains.”
Baljit has since tried to defend himself, and several of his colleagues in Gerakan have come to his defence. He said he used the word “sexy” as a reference to Wanita Gerakan vice-chief Azmar Md Alias, and that he had discussed the reference with her before he made his speech.
“For those who do not know her, especially the reporter, she is a grandmother,” he said. “I spoke to her earlier and she was okay with it.
Poor Bhai. But firstly, I need to say that for me as a pro DAP man, Baljit Singh is one of the very few Gerakan Party members I have some respect for. He usually makes sensible and good comments, but he fell on the sword of political correctness this time. Poor choice of words.
His description of my fave DAP politician Dyana Sofya Mohd as “I saw her as a young Malay girl. I didn't see anything else” was a wee too condescending and of course politically dismissal of Dyana.
But Bhai, recall how that young Malay girl very nearly shredded your party president Mah to confetti in the Teluk Intan by-election, losing by only a mere 238 votes, a frightening experience for Gerakan considering that Mah is the Gerakan Party president contesting in his hometown, with BN playing dirty tricks with its photo of Pauleen Luna, a Pinoy actress in scanty bikini, but misrepresenting that to conservative Malay voters as that of Dyana, and poor Dyana also facing dissent from within DAP because she had been deemed an airborne trooper, wakakaka.
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Dyana Sofya on left, Pauleen Luna on right |
People like Ibrahim Ali and the Mufti of Perak or some clowns in Kelantan could get away with naughty or even outrageous remarks about women, but though I would dare say Baljit is not a sexist person, he, unfortunately for him, is not an medieval Malay politician like Ibrahim Ali, a former PAS politician from Rantau Panjang or an old-fashioned ulama who is teflon-plated to talk cock. As a 'non' politician he must realize he is fair game and ought to be extra careful of his words.
Tough Bhai. But don't be discouraged. Treat the bitter experience as a another learning experience in the dodgy halls of modern politics.
A statement being "politically incorrect" does not render it untrue.
ReplyDeleteIn this case Bhai was spot on regarding DAP's superficial, barely concealed sexist approach to attracting Malay votes, especially young and not-so-young Malay men.
only true in your shallow PKR mentality
DeleteI concurred with a Gerakan Bayi who criticised DAP's motives and intentions in a previous choice of election candidate.
ReplyDeleteKtemoc turns around to attack PKR.
What the F*ck logic is that ?
don't you deserve some criticisms for accusing the DAP of superficiality, in its alleged concealed sexist approach to attracting Malay votes, especially young and not-so-young Malay men. You as a PKR acolyte has accused your so-called Pakatan ally (which you have consistently stabbed in the back) of such demeaning stuff, where you also demean women, implying attractive women canNOT be politicians?
Delete