The world has united to prevent sexual harassment against women. With initiatives like #MeToo movement, women around the world are being empowered to raise their voice against sexual abuse. But some people time and again come
One such cringeworthy proposal kept forward by a Malaysian MP is getting on the nerves of people on social media around the world recently. Mohamad Imran Abd Hamid, an MP with the ruling People’s Justice Party in the country has proposed a bill to ‘protect men from sexual harassment’.
He had proposed a ‘Sexual Harassment Act’ for men at the Malaysian upper house Dewan Negara, reports New York Times. He has requested the lawmakers to enforce a law that protects men from being ‘seduced’ into raping women.
Yes, you read that right!
“From the actions, words and clothing of women, which can cause men to be seduced to the point they can commit acts such as incest, rape, molestation, pornography and likewise. This is important, [men] need to be protected. Women can seduce us into breaking the law and causing us to be charged,” Hamid said in the Parliament.
While everyone is cringing at his “idea”, Senate Deputy President Abd Halim Abd Samad, from United Malays National Organisation has come in support of Hamid and said it was a “good viewpoint”.
Ever Hamid proposed the idea, he has been receiving severe backlash on social media. His statement has resulted in a worldwide outrage!
It's not enough to just drop the proposal. Men like him need to be removed from their senatorship! It's actually dangerous allowing him to remain in power. He has shown what he really thinks of women and its upsetting that there are no real consequences
https://t.co/LaB74bM269— Em is mad (@emcheng29) August 2, 2019
Beyond wack. Every day something else that is utterly jaw dropping. A Malaysian senator law has proposed a law prohibiting women from seducing men into rape (on the upside he’s backtracking now) https://t.co/yeLoURrXsR
— mezinthedesert 🌈 (@mezinthedesert) August 1, 2019
Men should police their own thoughts, words and actions and not take crimes committed by men against women lightly.https://t.co/Fr0JKYlRZ2
— Sisters in Islam (@SistersinIslam) August 1, 2019
Man I love when internet activists take an issue like that PKR senator's proposed "anti-seduction" law and decide that the most important gender issue to be outraged by is the fact that someone said "men are trash" in response. Very insightful!
— Lim Jack Kin (@JackKinLim) August 1, 2019
So these people who made the "ANTI MALE SEDUCTION LAW", don't y'all have grandkids to take care of? You barely can wake up in the morning, pls sit down and do something more productive… Men special sgt ke sampai nak protecc them, lol kote sendiri tak reti jaga nak protecc sial
— 🌙 YUGBAM PROTECTION SQUAD ⁷ ᶠᵒʳ ⁷ (@willatastic_09) July 31, 2019
All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) has also condemned Hamid’s insensitive proposal. “It is unacceptable for the senator to place the blame of rape, molestation, incest, porn and otherwise on the victim. After all, it is the perpetrator who must take responsibility for their own actions. The idea that victims are unable to access justice or demand some form of redress after undergoing such a de-humanising experience simply adds to the creation of a culture of fear and violence,” the said in a statement.
Jennifer Wells-Qu, from Asia branch of Equality Now, an NGO promotes the women’s rights has also bashed Hamid for his proposal. “To put forward legislation like this not only puts women and girls at greater risk but also creates an environment of impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence and goes against well-established international norms and values around sexual consent and gender equality. A perpetrator of abuse is just that, a perpetrator, and should be penalized as such,” she said.
Women’s rights campaigner Marina Mahathir, who is the daughter of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, is also among the ones who criticized Hamid. “He’s giving excuses for men behaving badly. It just points to the type of toxic environment that women in politics, and in other areas, have to live in,” she said.
After receiving massive flak, Hamid has finally apologized for his words in the parliament.
“Although my intention was sincere, I did not expect it to be perceived as a huge mistake that offended many women and men as well,” he said, reports The Straits Times.