PETALING JAYA: Women’s groups are demanding the resignation of Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff as the deputy women, family and community development minister over her marriage advice video clips.
“Through euphemis language, Siti Zailah’s advice perpetuates the idea that it is acceptable for a man to not only police a woman’s behaviour, but also to do so using violence,” said the All-Women’s Action Society (Awam).
They added that normalisation of the use of fear and intimidation via psychological and physical violence is dangerous to women who still constitute the majority of survivors of intimate partner violence.
“As part of the higher leadership that helms the nation’s leading public institution entrusted with the role of upholding women’s rights and gender equality, it is the deputy minister’s duty to embody values that align with this role, one of which includes zero-tolerance against all forms of gender bias, stereotypes and discrimination. Contravention of such a duty is utterly unacceptable,” Awam said.
Siti Zailah had received flak after posting a two-minute video clip recently advising husbands to use a “gentle but firm physical touch” to reprimand their wives.
Among her other tips were counselling, sleeping separately for three days, praying and urging women to take a softer approach with their husbands. .
Awam added that this advice not only blatantly disregards the abuse, manipulation and violence unwarrantedly endured by women survivors of domestic violence, but also unfairly absolves these women’s spouses of any responsibility in these matters.
“Saying that husbands can use a ‘gentle but firm physical touch’ to reprimand their wives is equivalent to conveying the message that women must listen to men, as the former are subservient to and are more inferior than the latter - when in reality, women should be able to exercise their full autonomy and rights as individuals and spouses on an equal basis as men,” they said.
Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) programme director Karen Lai too agreed the said advice was a highly problematic approach which raises serious concerns, especially when it is coming from a person of power who is tasked to uphold protection on violence against women.
“Violence in any form must never be condoned in a marriage of equals. Our concern is that such messages will send out the impression that physical violence is justified under certain circumstances,” she said.
“The message is at complete odds with Malaysia’s commitment to gender equality and women’s rights under Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,” she added.
Meanwhile, deputy executive director of the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) Yu Ren Chung said: “Let’s be clear, physically reprimanding your wife is not acceptable in any form. Wives are not subservient to husbands. Women are equal to men.
“What the deputy minister said has crossed the line. Following that, how can anyone have confidence in her to continue in her role?” he questioned.
Additionally in a statement, a coalition of women’s groups demanded that Siti Zailah resign from the post she holds.
Describing the videos as “abhorrent”, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said Siti Zailah was a deputy minister who was supposed to uphold equality and the rights of women to protection and safety.
“Her advice denies women the right to equality, their right to dignity and to be free from degrading treatment. It is grossly in error and a demonstration of failed leadership.
“The deputy minister must step down for normalising domestic violence, which is a crime in Malaysia, as well as for perpetuating ideas and behaviour that are opposed to gender equality,” it said in a statement today.
JAG also urged women, family and community development minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to take immediate action on the matter.
“In calling for her resignation, we urge the Malaysian government to take seriously its role on the Human Rights Council and the commitment to protect women and children in the country,” the statement read.
Siti Zailah had also run into criticism from Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Nurul Izzah said “this so-called advice” was a disservice to women in going against current realities and needs.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has only seen an increase in domestic abuse with a total of 9,015 cases reported, predominantly against women,” she said in a Twitter posting.
