The prime minister and his wife are in the running for the “Aiyo…Wat Lah!” awards.
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor are in the running to win awards. But it is for the wrong reasons.
Najib had been nominated for the “Insulting Intelligence” category with his remark that there was “no need for a women’s rights movement in Malaysia because equality has been given from the start.”
Whereas Rosmah could clinch the “Least Helpful To The Sisterhood” title with her call on women to stand by their husbands to help strengthen the family institution.
“It’s what wives must do, we give strength to our husbands,” she had said.
Inaugurated last year, the “Aiyo…Wat Lah!” awards is an annual event organised by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG).
It aims to raise awareness on what constitutes sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and to encourage higher standards of public discourse from public figures and institutions on these matters.
The awards focus on public statements and actions selected from media reports and there are seven categories: “Foot in Mouth”, “Insulting Intelligence”, “Policy Fail”, “Cannot Ignore”, “Least Helpful to Sisterhood”, Enough Already!” and “Right on Track”.
The shortlisted nominees for 2013 also saw the perpetuation of discriminatory attitudes towards the LGBT community in particular, reflected in the statements.
Last year’s winner for the “Insulting Intelligence” award was Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali.
The Pasir MAS MP had impressed judges when he said that “extramarital affairs are caused by wives who neglect their responsibilities to their husbands.”
Nazri for ‘Foot in Mouth’
Also slated for an award this year was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.
The de facto law minister had been nominated for the “Foot in Mouth” category with his response to a query on his son’s alleged link to a Sabah timber tycoon.
Nazri, who claimed to be in the dark about his son’s friends, had said: “I don’t sleep with my son, I am not gay.”
Revealing the nominees at a press conference here this morning, Awam representative Hew Li-Sha said that it was also sad to note that religion was being used to propagate prejudice against the LGBT community.
Commenting on the events nominated under the “Enough Already!” category, he added: “All religions preach tolerance and acceptance. We must be wary of the use of religion to spew hate and deny individuals their constitutional liberties and human rights.”
Also nominated under this category was the harassment faced by Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga.
Meanwhile, Lee also said that the awards could assists voters in selecting the right candidates during the next general election.
Other contenders include statements by Wanita MIC chief Komala Krishnamoorty and former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, each having secured a spot in the “Least Helpful to the Sisterhood” category by respectively downplaying the gender discrimination faced by women on a daily basis, implying that women politicians were not as committed as their male counterparts and placing the burden of keeping their families together on married women.
Besides the six categories that focus on discriminatory attitudes, the Aiyoh…WAT Lah?! Awards include the “Right on Track” category.
“We thought it was also important to recognise positive statements and actions, as well as the individuals and institutions that took the progressive steps,” Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) reprsentative Yu Ren Chung.
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor are in the running to win awards. But it is for the wrong reasons.Najib had been nominated for the “Insulting Intelligence” category with his remark that there was “no need for a women’s rights movement in Malaysia because equality has been given from the start.”
Whereas Rosmah could clinch the “Least Helpful To The Sisterhood” title with her call on women to stand by their husbands to help strengthen the family institution.
“It’s what wives must do, we give strength to our husbands,” she had said.
Inaugurated last year, the “Aiyo…Wat Lah!” awards is an annual event organised by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG).
It aims to raise awareness on what constitutes sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and to encourage higher standards of public discourse from public figures and institutions on these matters.
The awards focus on public statements and actions selected from media reports and there are seven categories: “Foot in Mouth”, “Insulting Intelligence”, “Policy Fail”, “Cannot Ignore”, “Least Helpful to Sisterhood”, Enough Already!” and “Right on Track”.
The shortlisted nominees for 2013 also saw the perpetuation of discriminatory attitudes towards the LGBT community in particular, reflected in the statements.
Last year’s winner for the “Insulting Intelligence” award was Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali.
The Pasir MAS MP had impressed judges when he said that “extramarital affairs are caused by wives who neglect their responsibilities to their husbands.”
Nazri for ‘Foot in Mouth’
Also slated for an award this year was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.
The de facto law minister had been nominated for the “Foot in Mouth” category with his response to a query on his son’s alleged link to a Sabah timber tycoon.
Nazri, who claimed to be in the dark about his son’s friends, had said: “I don’t sleep with my son, I am not gay.”
Revealing the nominees at a press conference here this morning, Awam representative Hew Li-Sha said that it was also sad to note that religion was being used to propagate prejudice against the LGBT community.
Commenting on the events nominated under the “Enough Already!” category, he added: “All religions preach tolerance and acceptance. We must be wary of the use of religion to spew hate and deny individuals their constitutional liberties and human rights.”
Also nominated under this category was the harassment faced by Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga.
Meanwhile, Lee also said that the awards could assists voters in selecting the right candidates during the next general election.
Other contenders include statements by Wanita MIC chief Komala Krishnamoorty and former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, each having secured a spot in the “Least Helpful to the Sisterhood” category by respectively downplaying the gender discrimination faced by women on a daily basis, implying that women politicians were not as committed as their male counterparts and placing the burden of keeping their families together on married women.
Besides the six categories that focus on discriminatory attitudes, the Aiyoh…WAT Lah?! Awards include the “Right on Track” category.
“We thought it was also important to recognise positive statements and actions, as well as the individuals and institutions that took the progressive steps,” Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) reprsentative Yu Ren Chung.
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