Hannah Yeoh Says Rina Harun Should Be Fired For Constantly Endorsing Acts Which Demean M’sian Women

By Lara Kramer  •  14 Sep 2022 in News

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Two-term Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun, should be “fired” for her constant utilisation of cheap publicity which taints the image of Malaysian women, as per DAP parliament member Hannah Yeoh.

Yeoh, a former deputy minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration, chastised the Titiwangsa MP for enabling actor, movie producer, and politician Datuk Rosyam Nor to give derogatory descriptions of women such as “wake up late”, “women are all slow”, “hey, wake up”, and “I want to hit your heads!” in a TikTok video ostensibly aimed at promoting the ministry’s entrepreneurial programme.

Hannah Yeoh, via a statement made on Facebook, stated that this wasn’t Rina Harun’s first time humiliating the ministry in the name of gaining publicity.

“Worse still, Rina and Yayasan Kebajikan Negara officers stood quietly and smiled as insinuations were passed at women. If Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is genuine about Keluarga Malaysia, he should fire a minister who is dismissive of women,” she wrote.

The Segambut MP then questioned how scripts that mocked women were endorsed by the ministry, noting that Rina is not paid by taxpayers to operate as an event organiser. Yeoh also asserted that, after more than three years on probation, it was high time for Rina and her deputy to “wake up”.

Previously, as reported by Malaysiakini, Rina stated that an individual’s attire could be regarded as an offence under the category of sexual harassment. She said this in response to Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (Perikatan Nasional-Kuala Krai) during a debate.

Because of the contentious statement, Hannah Yeoh felt compelled to clarify that it is sexual harassment if the perpetrator purposefully exposed their genitals or undressed, but it is not intended to spark victim-blaming.

Because an individual’s clothing is frequently used to blame the victim for rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, clarification was critical in order to prevent the spread of this harmful perspective.