KOTA KINABALU: Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Women’s Chief, Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun, said every leader has a duty to defend the rights of the people—especially women's rights when it involves dignity and morality.
She praised Kunak assemblywoman Datuk Norazlinah Arif for bravely speaking up in the State Assembly about women’s issues.
"If women don’t speak up and defend their dignity, especially on sensitive or moral matters, then who will? What Norazlinah did should be emulated," said Azizah during her Hari Raya open house on Saturday night.
This comes after a viral video showed Norazlinah expressing disappointment over being punched by Merotai assemblyman Sarifuddin Hata during a previous session, an act she said was wrongly dismissed as a joke.
Azizah further emphasized the government’s commitment to empowering women, noting that under GRS, women have been given 30 percent representation in leadership roles, including GLC chairmanships and board directorships.
"We’re not seeking to dominate, but to work alongside men in developing and advancing Sabah," she added.