Urging an end to the situation, they added that the Dewan Rakyat speaker and his deputies often took complaints on the matter lightly.
Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin said most of the time, they would let the culprits off the hook with barely a slap on the wrist despite the Dewan Rakyat’s rules that no representative should hurl sexist comments during a debate.
“The Dewan’s Standing Orders were amended to bar representatives from using words that are derogatory in the house.
“But the speaker and his deputies see sexist comments as something trivial because they do not understand how this can hurt the women’s feelings,” she said.
Women MPs, especially from the opposition, have frequently been subjected to sexist comments during debates in the Dewan Rakyat.
The infamous “bocor” (leaking) remark, made more than 10 years ago by Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin against DAP MP Fong Po Kuan, became a highly publicised headline.
The four-term MP from Umno said Fong, who was then Batu Gajah MP, “leaked every month”, referring to the women’s menstrual cycle while debating the leaking roof issue in Parliament.
He later apologised to women for his remark but did not address the apology specifically to Fong.
Bung also made several remarks against other opposition MPs, including Zuraida.
During a debate in 2015, Bung told Zuraida that he pitied her husband for having a fierce wife like her.
“I complained to the speaker (Pandikar Amin Mulia) and asked for action to be taken on the day itself, but he said we should wait for the Hansard to confirm what was said.
“When we obtained the Hansard, the speaker changed his tune and said we did not raise the issue on the same day. So which one is supposed to be right?” Zuraida asked.
She said Bung was a “repeat offender” and action should be taken against him for making sexist remarks.
“As long as there is a speaker who is insensitive, women MPs will not see our rights upheld,” Zuraida said, adding that it was time to have a woman as either the speaker or deputy.
“I think if there is a woman in the Dewan, the men will show more respect in the house and be careful before saying something.”
Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff agreed that it was time to appoint a woman to preside over the Dewan Rakyat as women were more sensitive in handling issues.
“Why not? The government always wanted to increase women’s participation to 30% in the decision-making field,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wanita MCA chief Heng Seai Kee said women could perform the duties of a Dewan Rakyat speaker as well as any man.
“Of course, we should appoint a woman to be the speaker, not just a deputy. Women are equally qualified as men for the job.
“A woman speaker or deputy should not be there just because they are sensitive in handling or stopping sexist remarks. Sensitivity should be applied across gender,” she said.
The Dewan Rakyat has not had a female speaker or deputy speaker since 1959.
However, Sarawakian Doris Sophia Brodie was appointed as a deputy speaker in the Dewan Negara for two terms in 2012.
At the state level, Selangor and Perak have female speakers in their assemblies.
Hannah Yeoh is the speaker for the Selangor state assembly and former Perak Wanita MIC chief S Thangeswary presides over the Perak assembly.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/2015/06/15/orang-kata-muka-zuraida-macam-hantu-bung-mokhtar/
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/06/17/bung-calls-protesters-biadap-for-going-to-his-house-2/