On March 8, women around the world rejoiced at their many achievements in various fields, but the lives of many ordinary women in Malaysia have not changed for the better.
The United Nations’ theme for International Women’s Day this year was “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world”. However, our women leaders have failed to protect many Malaysian women.
In the run-up to International Women’s Day, there were several disturbing news reports concerning women. During this Covid-19 pandemic, many women are stuck at home with their abusers, and they have no means of escape, as they are constantly being watched and their activities monitored.
However, the best advice that Wanita MCA chief Heng Seai Kie could give the participants at the MCA annual general meeting on March 6 was for both women and children to learn karate by joining MCA’s free online karate course, to discourage domestic abuse and prevent crime.
Her suggestion is dangerous and may give women and children a false sense of security. Using more violence to counteract violence will not work. A woman’s attacker could unleash more violence on her. A novice karate student is no match for a criminal armed with a parang or gun.
Is Heng fully aware of the complexities and issues related to domestic abuse? Does she know the impact of domestic violence on the victim?
The actor Zul Yahya, of the Papaya drama, removed his six children – three sons and three daughters – from normal school because both he and his wife felt that knowledge of the afterlife was more important.
This is in stark contrast to Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for wanting to go to school, because she wanted an education to lift herself and her family out of poverty.
How many Malaysian parents are like Zul, who place little value on education? Will his daughters be condemned to a life of ignorance and poverty?
In Bukit Mertajam, a Cambodian maid was allegedly abused by her employers. She was scalded with boiling water and her wages were withheld for two years. Will we only act decisively after the death of another maid?
In 2018, domestic helper Adelina Lisao, who was forced to sleep with a pet dog on the front porch, died but her alleged abuser and employer was given an acquittal. Where are the laws to protect maids?
Last week, a couple – a man and his second wife – were sentenced to hang for the murder of their 22-year-old daughter, who died from starvation. Her body was found with bite marks and her face was bruised. When she died, she only weighed 18kg, which is the equivalent of three-and-a-half 5kg bags of rice.
Her death was a result of the failure of the community to protect her. Why didn’t her relatives, her neighbours or her school teachers raise the alarm?
What has become of our society, in which we carry out raids to catch unmarried couples in a compromising position, but fail to intervene when a young woman is abused, for possibly years, in her own home?
How have our women politicians helped to uplift the lives of the millions of ordinary Malaysian women this past year? The abuse of maids and young women has happened too often.
On March 9, women, family and community development minister Rina Harun said her ministry and the PN government are committed to addressing the problem of child marriage. What policy changes has she initiated to ban child marriages, or is she merely paying lip service to the proposal for the ban?
How often has Rina addressed the suffering of many Malay single mothers who were let down by court decisions and unable to get settlements from their husbands, after they abandoned their wives for younger women?
Will she also address the apparent ease with which Malay men can enter into polygamous relationships? On Feb 22, Mukhriz Mahathir criticised a government website which allegedly encouraged Muslim men with an “incredible sense of sexual desire” to have multiple wives. Is PN promoting polygamy for the wrong reason? What is Rina’s take on this? Will she educate her PAS counterparts or tell Muslim men the conditions attached to polygamy? Or will she be afraid of treading on their supposed religious right to have multiple wives?
What initiatives and schemes has Rina, as the minister for women’s affairs, implemented to help the thousands of women who are now jobless because of the Covid-19 pandemic?
The chief of the Council of Malaysian Women Political Leaders (Comwel), Zuraida Kamaruddin, said she would propose that the Election Commission (EC) reserve 30% of parliamentary seats for women lawmakers.
It is not for the EC to decide on this prerogative. Why impose quotas? What if there are more than 30% suitable candidates? What if none of the 30% is of the right calibre? What happened to meritocracy for selection purposes?
Our women leaders appear clueless. They need to find their voice and know how they can better serve the women in the community. Will they find it in time for International Women’s Day 2022? Will we finally have something to celebrate next year?
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect those of FMT.