GE15: Amirudin slams Azmin for defending sexist remark

SHAH ALAM - Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari slams Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Azmin Ali for supporting Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Sanusi Md Nor’s sexist remark.

Yesterday, it was reported that Azmin justified Sanusi's declaration that women were ineligible to serve as members of parliament in rural areas by referencing the Sik region of Kedah.

In a press statement issued by Amirudin’s campaign secretariat today, it stated that the support of such a remark was an insult to women and a belittlement of their role in building the nation.

“There are many women who have made significant contributions to our country as leaders in their respective fields, including former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, The Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, and Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Yunus.

“Since Amirudin was appointed Selangor Menteri Besar in 2018, numerous qualified women have been entrusted with the leadership of Selangor State Government subsidiaries, while the performance of State Government departments and subsidiaries has not suffered and has even improved

The action illustrates that the Perikatan Nasional election director's attitude, which demeans women's dignity is an outdated political viewpoint,” the statement read.

Amirudin, also Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Gombak parliamentary seat would compete against Azmin, Barisan Nasional (BN) Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, Pejuang Datuk Dr Aziz Jamaludin Tahir and independent candidate Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Sanusi had previously been under fire over his comments which questioned the suitability of women as MPs in Sik,

In a viral video on TikTok during a talk, he was recorded as saying: “At three in the morning, we could imagine how women sleep, moreover with their tangled hair. In that state, are they going to help flood victims?”

He said he did not mean to bring down women but the Sik constituency is a big rural area with many people in need, they would seek help from their representatives around the clock.

He had since defended his statement and said that he was not a sexist but the statement was made in the context of Sik in the aspects of geography and geopolitics of the constituency that required a male MP to represent it.