Another MCA Chulia Street Prostitute MCA senator Chew Lee Giok, Chinese-only party MCA has slammed Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, but this time not for any political differences. His crime is not knowing who Korean pop star Psy was.
For MCA senator Chew Lee Giok, this means that Nik Aziz – named by the prestigious Middle East-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre as among the top 500 most influential Muslims in the world – "seriously lacks knowledge on current affairs, world standards and international trends".
"US President Barack Obama has danced the 'Oppa Gangnam Style' which has caught the dance world by storm," said the Wanita MCA secretary general, clearly caught in the frenzied excitement following BN's invitation to the South Korean star to perform in Penang.
"Not only does Nik Aziz not know who PSY is, he is even confused as to whether PSY is male or female. He actually asked why we would listen to a song in a language which we do not understand.
"How can he become a national leader?" thundered Chee in a statement posted on her party's website.
Chee was commenting on a news report of Nik Aziz's response when told of Psy's upcoming Penang concert, which is being seen as a last-ditch effort by MCA to win support for BN among Chinese youths in the state. Nik Aziz had apparently reacted by saying that Psy should cover the 'aurat' - the parts of human body which should be covered in public according to Islam.
But while the aurat applies to both male and female, the MCA senator was not aware of this, probably in keeping with the party leadership's past statements which reflected ignorance about the country's Federal religion.
"Nik Aziz only expects a woman to be 'covered', indicating that his mind is set on regressive ways, and he is seriously out of touch with the world. How can he lead the country towards becoming a more developed nation?" continued Chee in lambasting the Kelantan Menteri Besar.
Chee then tied the issue to what she called "rights of non-Muslims as enshrined in the Federal Constitution"
"Should Pakatan (Rakyat) ever win federal power, such feudal thinking which is detrimental to the multiracial and multicultural makeup of our country will be implemented unto non-Muslims. In so doing, the rights of non-Muslims as enshrined in the Federal Constitution will be jeopardised," she added.
'Don't know Psy? So what?'
Meanwhile many readers of news portal Malaysiakini, responding to Nik Aziz's remarks, reacted by saying that there is nothing to be ashamed of in not knowing about Psy .
"If he [Nik Aziz] is oblivious as to who Psy is - I salute him....He's untainted by what this world is going ga ga over," wrote one in comments appended to a news report.
"There is nothing to be embarrassed if one is not up todate with the Korean sensational, singing Gangnam Style...riding on a imagining horse on stage. Ask UMNO PM about his hidden talent!" said another.
"When it comes to the latest music, Nik Aziz is left out. When it comes to personal wealth, Nik Aziz has none. But this honest and sincere man is focused on the people and the state and he wants to make sure that the devil that we know is thrown out," said a reader nicknamed Mushiro.
One reader however said the frenzy over Psy and his dance moves was just a passing fade.
"You know what Nik Aziz; this global 'sensation' is now a semi-god. All must claim that they love him or want to watch him. If they don’t, they will be branded as Ah Beng and Ah Lian. But all these hip people do not know they are actually the victims of mass hypnotisation. I guess it is alright, let it be. These people will grow up eventually just like many of us have grown up with the Beatles, the BeeGees, the Moonwalk, Justin Bieber, and now Gangnam style."
examined psychological reasons for the cruelty some men perpetuate on women.
The gender divide has sprung into sharp focus with the Nirbhaya incident. The beast that always lay at our feet has suddenly become despicable and unacceptable. What has changed in recent times to sharpen the man-woman divide? Apart from the fact that women have stepped out of homes to challenge men in fields outside the home, increased awareness has led us all to question afresh the longstanding sexist bias.
So much so that President Pranab Mukherjee in his first ever Republic Day address very aptly said that “time has come for the nation to reset its moral compass”. Stressing the need for ensuring gender equality for every woman, he cautioned that “the price of neglect will be high”.
Where do we begin? The process has started with the Justice Verma Committee report. And the first thing that the former Chief Justice of India has stressed is to stop eve teasing or sexual harassment and stalking. “It is a serious matter... these practices are tolerated by the society. We need to first deal with the first step as it graduates to sexual assault,” he has said.
Agreed. But I believe we also need to step back several steps and attack our ‘conservative’ upbringing and ingrained stereotypes. We need to adopt a multipronged strategy where mothers and fathers, teachers, and anyone else who has contact with children is sensitised. A red flag needs to go up every time a woman tells her son, “You are a boy, don’t cry like a girl!” or “Study hard; you are not a girl whom I can just marry off!” or when a man says “I expect my son to look after me in old age; beti toh paraya dhan hai!” Such statements strengthen the foundation of a future sexist society.
It’s the stray remarks, the stereotypes that we need to be conscious of; the little jokes, the small practices that will make the bigger difference if we are vigilant. Every woman needs to be proud of herself and respect other women. No girl should be told to fetch a glass of water for her brother, unless the brother can be asked to fetch one for her with equal ease. No sweets should be offered or had at the birth of a boy unless these can be had for a girl’s birth as well.
Zero tolerance to any discrimination or crime against women is imperative. These are times of crisis and critical measures are needed to deal with them. Eve-teasing, stalking and harassment are not fun! They are shameful practices that depraved men with low esteem indulge in. Boys must understand that repeatedly trying to contact a girl who avoids you is not romantic. It is loser-behaviour and shows you in a poor, depraved light. Girls must be taught to protest and raise a voice against even the most ‘harmless’ eve teasing or ‘flashing’. Do not be misled by the word ‘teasing’, it’s clearly harassment.
Female foeticide and dowry should be treated with the disgust these deserve and stringent punishments devised for the doctors and families who practise it.
But most of all — and this cannot be stressed enough — our cops need to be sensitised. They need to be schooled, psychoprofiled and trained again, and yet again, on how to respond to various women-related crimes. Surprise checks with decoy victims should be conducted on cops, and they should be forced to tape/video record all interactions pertaining to crime against women. The government needs to recognize and reward exemplary acts by policemen to help women.
Media has to accept its role in promoting stereotypes of women as lesser beings and in social and moral degradation. Raunchy lyrics that denigrate women and suggest/promote violent acts should be avoided. Television, which is far more invasive than movies, needs to consciously work on its portrayal of women in serials. Women actors should refuse to dance to raunchy numbers that suggest that a woman is an object to be desired, coveted and consumed!
Going back to our President’s speech, he urged government and civil society to work together. “Nothing should be allowed to spur cynicism, as cynicism is blind to morality. We must look deep into our conscience and find out where we have faltered. The solutions to problems have to be found through discussion and conciliation of views,” he said.
Very true. Efforts to make a difference are not just the responsibility of the government, but of civil society as well. Let us simultaneously try to influence the bigger picture, as well as attack the mess within us! It is MY responsibility; it is YOURS as well. It is HIS responsibility, and also HERS!
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