DAP today lodged a report with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in response to several articles which attacked DAP members Dyana Sofya, Syefura Othman (Rara), and Jamila Rahim (Melati), including one by Free Malaysia Today titled “DAP dan Politik Onani” (DAP and the politics of masturbation).

DAP Legal Bureau Chief Gobind Singh Deo who accompanied the three women to the MCMC office in Shah Alam today morning called the attacks a disgraceful insult to women.

“The said articles clearly insulted our party members and are an offence under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998,” he said.

The latest addition to DAP, Jamila Rahim who is better known as Melati had been the target of scorn and sexist remarks in one of the articles that asking her to be a prostitute rather than joining the DAP.

Melati who wears a purdah (full face veil) had written a novel titled Pelacur Kelas Pertama (First Class Hooker) highlighting the plight of rape victims forced into marrying the rapist, and the issue of prostitution in Malaysia. It was her first hand account as an activist with a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that championed women’s rights.

Severe criticism and attacks poured in from Pro UMNO site MyKMU that on September 30 published an article with the headline “Melati, lebih baik jadi pelacur dari sertai DAP” (Melati, it is better to be a prostitute than join DAP).

The writer opined “the truth is, it is better to be a prostitute who sells themselves to earn a living, than those who wear a tudung and purdah selling themselves to the DAP for worldly comforts to the point of weakening Islam.”

Melati said that the article was humiliating to her and her family.

Dyana Sofya and Rara highlighted that the unscrupulous attacks by irresponsible groups occurred every time a Malay woman joined the party.

“ How are we to promote the participation of women in politics when these attacks keep happening to women like Rara and Melati?,” asked Dyana.

She said that the vicious stream of articles attempted to degrade women who decide to join politics under the banner of the DAP.

Gobind Singh believes that the attacks had poured in due to the image Melati projects, a young conservative Muslim who chooses to embrace a party that is guided by social democratic principles.

“Jamila has done nothing which warrants such damning remarks being made against her.”

“She has become the subject of ridicule because she is a young Malay Muslim who wears a purdah and who has her own political thoughts and choices,” he said.

Another article that has come under fire by the DAP was in online news portal FMT entitled “DAP dan politik Onani” which Gobind says amounts to yet another most scurrilous and personal attack against the three and the DAP.

In it, the author, who is a University Tunku Abdul Rahman lecturer, likened the recruiting of the three Malay women to a DAP strategy to lure and seduce Malay men to the party that he called chauvinistic due to its majority of Chinese members. Excerpts from the article originally in Malay include:

“Sadly, young Malays are trapped in an addictive syndrome of ‘politik onani’ [politics of masturbation] by the DAP.”

“What is surely to be seen, is that they [the Malay women] would be paraded as demi gods, their faces would be plastered on DAP posters and labeled with politically motivated semantics.”

“This would lead to, for lack of a better word, ejaculation, after which the excitement would diminish.”

Gobind said that the issue of demeaning women was not just mere politics, but a much larger issue concerning dialogue about women.

“These attacks have gone far beyond anything that may be considered respectful or acceptable,” he added, hoping that action would be taken as soon as possible. -The Rocket