Zuraida: Puteri Umno should follow Ku Nan’s fashion advice
The Wanita Keadilan chief says a woman’s dressing should not be blamed for the way she is treated.
In a statement issued today, Wanita Keadilan chief Zuraida Kamaruddin reminded the Federal Territories minister that a woman’s dressing should not be blamed for the way she is treated.
Tengku Adnan, also known as Ku Nan, made the remark during a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue on May 17 in response to a question from a participant, who expressed her fear over the current lack of public safety.
“Our women in Wanita Keadilan all dress up smartly and avoid harassment because mischievous men simply do not harass women who are dignified and are confident of themselves,” Zuraida said.
“If Puteri Umno still has a problem with harassment, we invite them to join Wanita Keadilan or Srikandi Keadilan.”
Zuraida said in some other countries, women were only allowed to go out with male chaperones, and that too fully covered from head to toe.
“However, there is no need for us to go to that extent if we have laws to deter men from being disrespectful and rude to women,” she said.
The Ampang MP also said Wanita Keadilan believed in gender parity and that included men respecting women as equals.
“If men do not know their boundaries, then there should be punishments to make them realise their mistakes,” she said.
She said although sexual harassment in the workplace falls under the Employment Act 1955, the avenue for legal action by the victim against the perpetrator was still limited under the common law.
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Zuraida said there was a need to make changes to the existing law to protect women’s rights to dress as they pleased, adding that instead of dressing shabbily, adequate laws should be put in place to protect women from men who act like animals.