MORE PICS – Leakages in Parliament; Furor over Sexist Remarks - 2 BN MPS; VIDEO Clip (59s) – SAMY VELLU-Bull Shitting - Craftsmanship – MMR2 Pipe Fall
UPDATE:
Outrage grows against ‘Bocor’ MPs
Pauline Puah, Hwa Yue-Yi and R. Manirajan ; SUN
In the Dewan Negara, Deputy Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Wong Kam Hoong said the rough remarks made by some MPs had ruined the government’s
campaign to create a well-mannered society. He was answering a supplementary question from Gooi Hoe Hin, who suggested the ministry hold a courtesy course for “some parliamentarians”. “Our courtesy campaign has been ruined. Pak Lah’s programme to build a first class human capital has been ruined as well.
“As MPs, we should be careful on our conduct and the way we talk, especially issues on women whom we respect,” Wong said. He said the lot of MPs had been besmirched. “Repeatedly (they made inappropriate remarks). How do they face their family, mothers, daughters, sisters, especially when yesterday) was Mother’s Day? I am very disappointed,” Wong said, without naming the MPs. He said the ministry would submit a report on the matter to the premier. Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN – Kinabatangan) and Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (BN – Jasin) had raised an outcry for uttering a sexist remark against Fong Po Kuan (DAP – Batu Gajah) during a heated exchange about the ceiling leakage in Parliament last Wednesday (May 9).
“Where is the leak? Batu Gajah MP also leaks every month,” Bung Mokhtar was quoted as saying. Earlier, in answering another question pertaining to this issue, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the minister concerned would bring this matter to the cabinet soon. At a function today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat said she wants action to be taken to ensure that remarks that insult or belittle women will not be repeated in Parliament.
“I feel hurt at what happened and I want concrete steps taken to ensure that similar incidents do not recur. “I will raise the matter at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss the steps to be taken,” she said. “This has been happening many times and must not be taken lightly. More importantly, we want action.” At another function, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was also asked about this matter. Initially, he said it was up to Parliament to decide, but when pressed whether it was proper for MPs to make such remarks, he said: “I don’t want to pass judgment about what they said. They said it in a very ... It was not supposed to be taken seriously, I think if you take it with a sense of humour, then ... But of course people are making a big meal out of this issue.” Outside Parliament, the Joint Action Group on Gender Equality (JAG) is organising a public protest tomorrow outside the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in the Bukit Perdana Government Complex. The protest will start at
“What we aim to achieve is to stop all this discrimination and sexism in the Parliament, and also to ensure there is a mechanism to take care of this kind of behaviour,” Women’s Development Collective executive director Maria Chin Abdullah said on behalf of JAG.
Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah noted that from as early as 2000, there had been a pattern of chauvinistic remarks by the MPs. “Occasionally there was an apology and what appeared to be a slap on the wrist, but it is not addressing the deep-seated sexist culture. There is this attitude that women are fair game,” she said.
She noted that in 2002, the banner organisation Women’s Agenda for Change submitted a three-page memorandum to the House Speaker, highlighting examples of sexist and lewd language in Parliament and urging that sexual harassment prohibitions be incorporated in the Parliamentary code of conduct. “Hopefully we will not have to wait another five years,” she added. The All Women's Action Society (AWAM) said in a statement the comments by Bung Mokhtar and Mohd Said insulted every girl and woman. AWAM said “letting [the MPs] off without even a reprimand, or making them apologise, sends the signal that sexual harassment of women is acceptable”. DAP leaders today sent a letter of protest to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who is also BN Whip. The party is also organising a forum on this issue on May 17 night in Wisma YMCA in Brickfields. In the letter, the DAP called for the suspension and the sacking of the two BN MPs over their sexist remarks.
Watch the Video Clip (1m 37s) on
"Sack the 2 BN Sexist MPs” (1m 37s) on the Protest, Najib’s reply and Datuk Wong Kam Hoong, Deputy Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister dressing down of the 2 BN MPs in the Dewan Negara
= = == =
= = == == =
ABOVE: Najib's advice .. " take it with a sense of humour,... but people are making a BIG MEAL out of this issue"= = == = == = Malaysiakini Report on the MEMO
= = = = == = == = = =
Shahrizat Demands Action Against Statements That Demean Women
= = == = == = == = == =
ABOVE: The location of the Water Leakage from ceiling and BELOW: Water marks of the leakage
= == = == == = === = == = =
ABOVE: Further visible water marks on Ceiling and BELOW: Opposition MPs sampling the leakage
and BELOW: The stained Carpet with Dripped Water
= = = == = == == = = == = =May 10,
Malaysian law minister defends alleged sexist remark by Parliament colleagues
By JULIA ZAPPEI
Associated Press Writer
UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) --
ABOVE: DAP MP (Fong Po Kuan) for Batu Gajah at the receiving end of the sexists remarks
On Thursday, Parliament Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib also rejected an opposition motion for disciplinary action to be taken against the two legislators, Bung Mokhtar Radin and Mohammed Said Yusof, from the ruling National Front coalition.
Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz (ABOVE) told The Associated Press that such remarks were "part and parcel of parliamentary debate," and women should not be treated with more sensitivity than men. "This is a debate. People play with words," he said. "As long as there is no ill intention, we should allow for it. Otherwise parliament will be very boring." The incident occurred on Wednesday when lawmakers were discussing a complaint by Lim Kit Siang, the leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party, about a water leak in the Parliament building ceiling.
During the debate, Bung Mokhtar (ABOVE) said, "Where is the leak? The member for Batu Gajah also leaks once a month," referring to Lim's party colleague, Fong Po Kuan. Lim said the other lawmaker then echoed the words, and both men deserve to be punished. "This is not just a sensitive issue; it's gender offensive," he told the AP. "They have dishonored all women."
Ramli, the Parliament speaker, said he rejected the move by Fong to refer the two lawmakers to the Privileges Committee because the motion was made Thursday and not right after the incident on Wednesday, according to the New Straits Times newspaper. A call to Ramli's office was disconnected by the person who answered it. The New Straits Times said Mohammed Said (BELOW) dismissed the matter as a storm in a teacup.
"I said it in the heat of the debate. I don't see what they are fussing about," he reportedly said. He or Bung could not be immediately reached for comment.
= = == = == = = = = == = =
Contractors With Shoddy Workmanship To Be Blacklisted
"We are dealing with public funds here and we must ensure that these funds do not go to waste," he said when commenting on recent reports of leakage at the Parliament building. He said the Public Works Department would be investigating the leakage to determine whether poor workmanship was the cause whether the government or the contractor would bear the cost of repairs. Asked when the errant contractors would be blacklisted or fined, he said that this was under the purview of the Contractor Service Centre which is under the Entrepreneur and Cooperative development Ministry.
= = = = =
2007/05/11 Sexist lawmakers get away with insulting women; NST; V. Vasudevan
ABOVE & BELOW: The two clowns clowning in Parliament making sexist remarks on women "monthly leakages"
At the start of the afternoon sitting, the DAP members had criticised the leaks at the entrance of the media centre. Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang was leading the charge and had been complaining about the way the government was maintaining public facilities. It was then that Bung Moktar and Mohd Said were reported to have each made a statement in quick succession that in effect said:
"Where is the leak, the member for Batu Gajah also leaks once a month." In the commotion during the height of the debate, it appeared that none of the opposition members heard the remarks. But after reading reports of the remarks in the Utusan Malaysia and two Chinese dailies, the DAP demanded that both men be referred to the Privileges Committee. Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib said he needed time to mull over the matter and promised a decision in the afternoon. In the afternoon, Ramli said both backbenchers should have been refered to the Privileges Committee immediately after the words were uttered. "This is long after the incident. The Standing Orders are clear on that. It is not that I don’t want to take action but the Standing Orders are clear," he told DAP members to loud table-thumping from backbenchers. Lim said he would have raised the matter except that "in the noise and pandemonium, we did not hear what they had said". However, Ramli stood his ground and refused to change his position on the matter.
"I regret this incident happened. I hope members will be careful with the words they use," he said while declaring the matter closed. In the lobby, Fong said she felt sad about the way the issue had been handled. Lim said it was not a DAP issue and backbenchers should not have viewed it along party lines. "This is a question of dignity for women. Sunday is Mother’s Day. Is this the way we treat our women?" asked Lim while urging BN chief and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take action against the two men. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said he did not find the choice of words used by both to be offensive. "Unless of course it was their intention to offend her. I don’t know what their thoughts were. If they want to apologise, it is up to them." Nazri said what was unparliamentary or not was up to the person who heard it. On the chair’s decision, Nazri said it was the right decision and the opposition had used the same standing order against him in the past.
= == = =
The Fallen MMR2 Pipe was NOT fixed by God, but human beings
Samy Vellu telling story again on the mishap in MMR2 where a length of 8" Diameter PVC Pipe (for water drainage) came falling down on Friday 11th may 2007. It was not reported in the major print media but was highlighted by TV3. As usual he gave his “off the cuff” remarks and this time he suggested blame on different craftsman ship skills doing the job. Once again trying to protect this group of MMR2 builders & contractors.
Looking from a technical point of view, the most likely cause is the incorrect use of the adhesive to hold the PVC pipes joint. In normal correct practice, if the proper PVC adhesives are used, there should be a permanent fusion of bonding at the joints. Another case of shoddy work to save cost, save labor, saves time for more profits perhaps. A cheaper Glue substitute was used? It would be interesting, if the designer has specified any particular mode of joints for this sub-contract work.
Watch this 59s Video Clip for his Bull-shitting explanation and the Possible causes of failure.
SAMY VELLU - MMR2 PIPE NOT Fixed by GOD
= = == = == == = == = == =
= = == =Not enough, Go H E R E ON
PM Abdullah to allay fears; hastily arranged a press conference to state that he is “alive & kicking” after recovering from the heatstroke. Watch the 1m 22 s Video clip and
This young Deputy Minister (Datuk Shahziman) with his preconceived “punk ideas” about bloggers was shooting off his cuffs again when he made those remarks and he is using his communication portfolio to identify that blogger. How could he label the inaccurate report as “slander”?
As a matter of fact Abdullah admitted he “sat down” (NST) or it can be reported he ‘collapsed back to his chair” when told he was unwell.
But the remarks by the UMNO info chief Taib that bloggers can “destabilize UMNO or the Government” are stretching it too far. Even IF the PM did collapse, those in the corridors of power are only waiting to take over. Maybe bloggers in the future also have the power to stage a coup d’État.
posted by multidimid at 7:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home