Women’s groups demand deputy women’s minister Siti Zailah step down

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Women’s groups demand deputy women’s minister Siti Zailah step down for ‘normalising’ domestic violence

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — A coalition of women’s groups today demanded for Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff’s resignation for her controversial remark seen to be endorsing domestic violence.

In a joint statement, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said that the comment made by the lawmaker from Islamist party PAS may result in domestic violence being normalised.

“The deputy minister must step down for normalising domestic violence, which is a crime in Malaysia as well as for perpetuating ideas and behaviours that are opposed to gender equality,” it said. 

“During the movement control order period in 2020 and 2021 alone there were 9,015 police reports on domestic violence; these statistics may not include reports received by NGOs and other support organisations.

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