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KUALA LUMPUR – Several women’s rights NGOs have criticised Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun over his recent remarks towards Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto yesterday.
In a joint statement, they acknowledged that while Azhar as the Dewan Rakyat speaker can disallow MPs from interrupting their colleagues, he should not have done it in such a rude manner.
“It does not mean that he can disrespectfully snap at the two women MPs to shut up,” the statement read.
It was added that Yeoh’s persistent calls to extend the special parliamentary sitting was justifiable, given that National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) was of important national interest.
“In this case, unlike the health minister who declined to extend the duration of the sitting to address all vaccination-related questions on July 27, the science, technology and innovation minister was agreeable to doing so.
“When the life, death and welfare of the rakyat hangs in the balance, the additional 15 minutes are gold in enabling bipartisan communication on current vaccination gaps and how they can be addressed,” the statement added.
These NGOs also said that Azhar’s scolding of the two women elected officials did not only signal his lack of acknowledgement towards their work as parliamentarians, but also displays his insensitivity towards the nation’s “physical, mental, emotional and socioeconomic suffering.”
They also urged Azhar, better known as Art Harun, to apologise to both Yeoh as well as Kasthuri, and grant extensions when requested by MPs and agreed upon by ministers.
The statement was jointly endorsed by All Women’s Action Society (Awam), the Association of Women Lawyers (AWL), EMPOWER, KRYSS Network, Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS), Sisters in Islam and the Women’s Aid Organisation.
Earlier today, Bersih 2.0, Engage, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Bail Al-Amanah and Undi18 also issued a similar rebuke against Azhar.
They said Azhar refused to acknowledge the requests put forth by the women MPs, and instead asked them to shut up and turned off their microphones.
Stating that Azhar’s tone and language were not only inappropriate, they added it displayed his chauvinistic and gender-discriminatory behaviour.
Yesterday, Azhar lost his cool in the Dewan Rakyat as he snapped at yeoh and Kasthuri.
The two MPs had attempted to request an extension of time to receive clarifications from Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin who was briefing the Dewan Rakyat concerning matters related to vaccines.
Azhar remarked to both Yeoh and Kasthuri “can you please shut up” before proceeding to turn off their microphones. – The Vibes, July 29, 2021
