Guan Eng and Ridhuan Tee slammed over 'sexist jibes'

Seemingly from different ends of the political spectrum, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and controversial columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah have found themselves the joint recipients of tongue lashings from women’s groups.

According to women’s rights activists, the two’s separate remarks against female politicians have earned them both the dubious honour of being labelled “disrespectful” and “sexist”.

Ticking off the pair, Women’s Aid Organisation said executive director Ivy Josiah said this “silly season for sexist comments” only shows how hard it is for women politicians from either side of the divide to earn respect.

“These jibes and sexist comments are disrespectful to women. It just goes to show how difficult it is for women in politics as they have to navigate through sexism.

“Our gender as a female is not a weakness and our roles are not less important. Women politicians from both sides of the aisle should come together on this and demand a stop to sexism,” she told Malaysiakini.

Yesterday, Lim, who is also DAP secretary general, called Penang opposition leader Jahara Hamid a “racist grandmother” when she questioned alleged selective action on illegal businesses based on race.

Similarly, Ridhuan reportedly called DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok an “ultra-kiasu spinster” when she questioned why Ridhuan was allegedly “teaching ethnic cleansing” to his students at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

Kok had also raised allegations that Ridhuan had plagiarised another academic’s writings for his own course work.

‘Unbecoming of an academic’

Weighing in, Association of Women’s Lawyers Meera Samanther said that all politicians should remember that women make up a large portion of constituents and political party members.

When contacted, she also ticked off Ridhuan for the remark which, she said, is unbecoming of an academic and a scholar.

“I am just astounded that as an academic, that he would come up with sexist comments and make it derogatory... It is tiresome, day in day out, having to deal with these issues,” she said.

Meera also expressed disappointment that female politicians are making the news due to sexist remarks against them, instead of the cases they brought up.

Meanwhile, DAP's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching came to her colleague’s defence, urging that Ridhuan be sacked from his post as an associate professor at UPNM.

Msiakini news