MalaysiaKini, Outraged women tell Ibrahim they’re no ‘sex toy’, 8 April 2011

Glad to see that many right-thinking Malaysians are speaking up to condemn sexist MPs.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/160963

Outraged women tell Ibrahim they’re no ‘sex toy’

Apr 8, 11 1:19pm

Ibrahim Ali’s sexist remarks in Parliament yesterday has drawn fury from women scorned across the country.

Women’s Aid Organisation chief Ivy Josiah said Ibrahim’s comments were unacceptable for a parliamentarian.

“I am appalled as he equates women to being a sex toy and what is worse is that he uses religion to try and justify his position,” she told AFP.

“The comments not only show that Ibrahim Ali (right) is a Malay supremacist but a male supremacist as well.”

Rights group Tenaganita, who monitors issues of human trafficking and abuse, said such sentiments were one of the causes of human trafficking in the country.

“Because people like Ibrahim Ali believe it is their right to get sex anytime from their wives, or otherwise seek it from elsewhere, that’s why you have a growing sex industry and we see such human trafficking cases,” senior coordinator Aegile Fernandez told AFP.

Last March, the government launched a national plan against human trafficking in an apparent attempt to quash its image as a transit point for traffickers.

With one of Asia’s largest populations of foreign labour, Malaysia relies on illegal and legal migrants to work as domestic servants, in plantations, factories and to service the local sex industry.

‘He needs gender sensitivity training’

Meanwhile Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said that the Pasir Mas MP should “submit himself to gender sensitivity training”.

“Ibrahim’s statement reveals his deep-seated sexism which is most disgraceful for an MP. From his statement, it is clear that he has a very low opinion of women,” said Kok in a statement calling for an apology.

“He expects women to present their bodies to their husbands on demand… as though women are meant to be unfeeling sex slaves.

Kok, who is also Selangor exco, reminded Ibrahim that sexual coercian even amongst the married was “a form of sexual violence and that violence against women (and men) is a crime”.

“It’s sexist MPs like Ibrahim Ali’s that perpetuate the subordination of women by men, and stand in the way of enacting laws which protect and uphold the dignity of women,” she said.

She asked how, as an MP, he could represent the interests of his constituents, half of whom would be female, when he has such a low opinion of women.

His remarks, she said, not only demeaning to women but men as well.

“He makes men out to be completely lacking in self-control, as though men were animals. He even excuses them for committing adultery which is a most hurtful act of betrayal.”

She insisted the MP submit himself to gender sensitivity training to avoid a repeat of his mistakes.

“If he refuses to do so, I urge the Parliamentary Gender Caucus to reprimand Ibrahim Ali and send a strong message to the public that the Dewan Rakyat does not tolerate such sexist remarks,” said Kok.

Endemic sexism

Yesterday, the independent MP and chief of right-wing Malay NGO Perkasa blamed wives for their husbands resorting to extramarital sex.

This was during his supplementary question during Question Time in Parliament, asking the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) what they were doing about educating wives on their ‘responsibilities’.

Using Islam as his defence, the Pasir Mas MP said, “In Islam, wives are supposed to stop everything to fulfill their husband’s demands.”

This is not the first time BN lawmakers have clashed with women’s groups; last month another notorious parliamentarian Bung Moktar claimed women were “slow” at the wheel and “oblivious” on the roads.

The remarks sparked All Women’s Action Society (Awam) to call for this resignation.