Include Disabled In Parliament Ban Too

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Women’s groups laud proposed changes

By TERENCE TOH
terence.toh@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Women's groups lauded the proposed amendments to Parliament rules barring MPs from making sexist remarks, saying these would help protect both genders.

All-Women's Action Society (Awam) president Ho Yock Lin said the Joint Action Group-Gender Equality (JAG) coalition had long been pushing for such rules to be implemented.
“However, we feel that these amendments should result in severe punishment for those who breach them,” Ho said.

“It is not enough to just reprimand MPs,” she said, suggesting a suspension of three to six months.
Ho also said MPs should be made to go through gender sensitivity training.

Voice of Women Association president Chew Hoong Ling also welcomed the amendments, but said a proper definition of what amounted to sexist remarks was necessary.

Citing Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin's bocor or leak comments against a female Opposition MP last year, she said while the word bocor was not sexist in itself, the context was important.
Chew said the need for the change was a reflection of the standard of MPs nowadays.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association president Anthony Thanasayan said he would like to see a similar provision for the disabled.
“Whenever references are made to the disabled in Parliament, they are usually negative, such as MPs calling each other blind, deaf or cacat,” he noted.

In the proposed amendment tabled yesterday, Standing Order 36, paragraph four of the Dewan Rakyat rules now reads: “It shall be out of order for Members of the House to use offensive language or make a sexist remark”.

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