28 July, 2017
This was illustrated on Tuesday during a consultation on amendments to domestic violence legislation, when parliamentarian Che Mohamad Zulkifly Juso argued that women who deny their husbands sex are exposing them to "psychological and emotional abuse" according to BBC.
The lawmaker continued to say, "Usually, it involves wives cursing their husbands. All these are types of psychological and emotional abuse", the 58-year-old lawmaker said. They insult their husbands and refuse his sexual needs.
Che's comments drew ire from women's rights activists, including the daughter of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, Marina Mahathir. "It does not work that way". In Islam, a man is allowed to have up to four wives at a time if he can provide for them equally.
His remarks provoked anger among women's rights campaigners, who accused him of sexism and trivialising abuse. Malaysia is now in talks to change its existing laws against domestic violence.
The Star Online reported that Women's Aid Organisation's Tan Heang-Lee responded to Che Mohamad's statement: "We must not trivialise abuse, and we must also respect women's rights over their body". So why and how severely a woman nags her husband (or vice versa) is subjective.
Mr Jusoh insisted that not allowing men to have more than one wife also constitutes as a form of abuse. "It is ridiculous to say men are abused if women say no". "Lawmakers can be sex therapists later", said Sharkawi Lu. "What a joke Malaysia has become".
"Women are not sexual tools". And taking four wives is a sick craze.
Back to what really matters, the proposed Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2017 is working towards adding an emergency protection order that will give survivors immediate protection against their abusers within 24 hours, without having to lodge a police report or go to court.
Women's rights advocates, however, have long said that others in positions of power are not only failing to take necessary measures to combat the problem, but helping to bolster the beliefs that make women and girls particularly vulnerable to abuse in the first place.
