KUALA LUMPUR – Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has condemned Bersatu’s Dr Afif Bahardin for his comments against DAP’s female candidate in Kuala Kubu Baharu, saying that it reflects a sexist mindset.
Challenging Afif’s perspective on women in politics, Fahmi has expressed dismay at the Bersatu politician’s insinuation that DAP candidate Pang Sock Tao is merely a “proxy” for Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming as she is his press secretary.
“It’s almost as though Afif is not recognising that a woman candidate can stand on her own two feet,” Fahmi told reporters when met at Wisma Bernama, here, today.
“How can he (Afif) come out and say that she (Pang) is anyone’s proxy? She is her own person, just look at her track record!
“Use your mind (and) think clearly. It’s as though you’re a misogynist… don’t be sexist, Afif,” added Fahmi, who is also unity government spokesman.
Urging Afif to “respect women”, the PKR information chief also said he was “ashamed” that someone like Afif, who is a doctor by profession, would issue such comments instead of encouraging more women to come out and contest in elections.
Fahmi said this when asked to comment on Afif’s assertion that Pang was fielded as a candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu poll due to her ties with Nga as his press secretary.
In a video uploaded on his TikTok account recently, Afif claimed that if Pang managed to win the state seat, she would merely champion contentious issues Nga had previously advocated for, such as the recognition of Chinese new villages as Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Afif also alleged that Nga had pushed for Pang’s candidacy as Selangor DAP was supposedly holding its election soon. Pang’s win in Kuala Kubu Baharu, Afif said, would allow Nga to have a state assembly representative on his side during the party polls.
Earlier today, Selangor PAS information chief Zurk Ahmad had called on Pang to state her stance on several controversial issues involving Nga, alleging that voters would not be able to accept a potential leader who was unfair and supported abuse of power.
Kuala Kubu Baharu is one of the three state seats under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency. The two other seats are held by opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.
Voters will head to the polls on May 11 in a four-cornered fight involving Pang, Bersatu’s Khairul Azhari Saut, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainudin and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin. – April 30, 2024