“A gentle but firm physical touch is allowed to reprimand stubborn wives.”
The statement from Deputy Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) Minister Datuk Siti Zailah, Mohd Yusoff recently has drawn backlash from the people online.
A lot of people, including the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) have demanded her immediate resignation for not upholding the rights of women and gender equality.
In a statement released yesterday (14 February), JAG stated that this does not only illustrate her support of domestic violence but also the failed leadership. They also stated that the domestic violence reported during the MCO in 2020 till 2021 had risen and there may be a lot of unreported cases out there due to the fear and stigma associated with reporting domestic violence.
“Statement such as those of Siti Zailah has made it worse,” JAG added.
Additionally, Malaysia has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council with the promise of prioritising the rights of vulnerable groups including children and women. However, JAG believes that a public statement against gender equality and promoting gender-based violence at the ministerial level is in direct contradiction to this.
Aside from expecting Datuk Siti Zailah to step down as the Deputy Minister of KPWKM, JAG also wants the Malaysian government to look into this matter seriously in order to protect the women and the children of the country. The Minister of KPWKM, Datuk Seri Rina Harun & Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ismail Sabri were also mentioned in the statement to take immediate action on this matter.
As of now, neither of them have responded to the situation yet.
Also read: WATCH: Rina Harun Allegedly Washed Clean Area of Evacuation Centre, JKM Clarifies Her Good Deed
