It gets harder every day to grasp exactly what it is that PAS is trying to achieve. Each disjointed statement and outburst only serves to confuse the electorate further. It appears that PAS is merely playing the spoiler on behalf of BN as Pakatan Harapan slowly coalesces support behind its Amanah candidates for the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections. Of course, PAS has so far been denying this despite its acknowledged alignment with Umno.

From a suddenly rushed and subsequently deferred hudud bill to the much mocked Malay warrior dress premiered at the party’s recent muktamar, the things PAS has lately been doing give the impression that it is clutching at straws to remain relevant as a political party.

And now we have a call for the Chinese to give hudud a try to protect their “Ah Mois”, which is a somewhat derogative reference to the ladies of the community. The description smacks of sexism and male privilege, and ruffles feathers more than it smoothes them, especially in the context in which it was invoked.

Certainly, the insinuation by PAS candidate Najihatussalehah Ahmad that men cannot control their urges without hudud is just as insulting to men because, honestly, not harassing a woman should just be a matter of simple human decency. Men should not have to be cowed by a threat of punishment in order to follow the rules of human society. Really, education is more likely to phase out sexism over time than harsh rules. Human beings love and despise rules in equal measure, and will always find a way to break them.

Even as the conversation around sexual harassment and rape evolves to one that is centred on the call for considerateness and decency, it is attitudes like the one displayed by Najihatussalehah that encourages men to keep going back to the old familiar defence for their indiscretions. Give predators a lifleline and they will cling to it, happily blaming the victims for the crimes they commit. At best, Najihatussalehah has condemned all men as sexual predators by instinct. At worst, she has made it seem like we are not responsible for our lusts.

Let’s be clear that rape and sexual harassment is a huge problem in this country. The Women’s Aid Organisation estimates that for every rape case reported, nine go unreported. Now if we extrapolate on police figures for reported rape in 2012 (2,998 cases), we can assume that at this very moment, someone is being raped somewhere in the country. That very notion should outrage us to the very core of our being. But then, the newspapers are full of rape stories every single day, and maybe we’ve forgotten how to become outraged over the crime as we turn the page to the latest inane statement from our politicians and promptly blow our tops.

As men, we should not accept this narrative that we are not responsible for our actions. Man’s laws and God’s laws make it clear that we deserve punishment when we commit crimes, including sex crimes. When we offload the blame to women or to man’s alleged lack of self-awareness, we are insulting the Creator and insulting the common decency of human beings.