G.A.T.A.L.... (what the F%#k?!!)

Hurm, there has been a very interesting thing going on in the Parliament two days back. Here are some articles from the newspapers regarding the 'hot debate'...

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Wakil Pas didesak jangan guna `gatal' pada wanita

KUALA LUMPUR 26 April - Semua Ahli Parlimen wanita hari ini menunjukkan `taring' mereka dengan bangun dan mendesak Abdul Fatah Harun (Pas-Rantau Panjang) menarik balik kenyataannya yang menghina wanita dengan mengatakan kebanyakan kes perceraian di negara ini disebabkan oleh golongan terbabit yang disifatkan sebagai `gatal'.

Kenyataan itu dibuat ketika Abdul Fatah mencelah semasa Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil menggulung perbahasan Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan (RMK-9) di Dewan Rakyat bagi pihak kementeriannya.
Shahrizat yang terkejut dengan kenyataan tersebut bangun dan meminta Ahli Parlimen Rantau Panjang itu menarik balik kata-katanya kerana telah menghina wanita.

``Saya tidak faham kenapa kata-kata penghinaan itu datang daripada Ahli Parlimen Pas yang selama ini mengamalkan imej Islam, sedangkan Islam menaikkan martabat wanita di mata masyarakat. Saya rumuskan ia datang daripada orang yang tidak beriman,'' katanya.
Bagaimanapun, Abdul Fatah tetap dengan pendiriannya dan mengatakan beliau hanya menggambarkan sebahagian daripada wanita yang berperangai `tidak senonoh' seperti itu.
``Saya rasa tidak perlu untuk menarik balik kata-kata saya. Memang ada wanita yang menjadi `ibu tunggal' kerana `gatal','' kata beliau.

Sekali lagi, Dewan gamat dan Shahrizat yang masih tidak berpuas hati mencabar Abdul Fatah untuk membuktikan tuduhannya itu.

``Di mana Yang Berhormat berjumpa dengan wanita seperti itu?'' soalnya.
Dewan sekali lagi kembali gamat apabila Tan Lian Hoe (BN-Bukit Gantang) mencelah dan menggesa Ahli Parlimen Rantau Panjang menarik balik kata-katanya dengan mengatakan perceraian juga disebabkan oleh lelaki yang `gatal'.

Pertikaman lidah itu bukan hanya melibatkan Ahli Parlimen wanita dari Barisan Nasional (BN), tetapi juga dari DAP yang turut menyokong pendirian Shahrizat.
Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam) ketika bangun membantah berkata, kenyataan yang dikeluarkan oleh Ahli Parlimen Rantau Panjang itu tidak tepat dan berniat serong untuk menjatuhkan imej wanita di negara ini.

(dipetik dari Utusan Malaysia, 27 April 2006)
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Across the Floor:Uproar over Pas MP’s 'gatal' remark
By V. VASUDEVAN

OF the two janda — the divorced variety are gatal (horny/promiscuous) while those widowed are better behaved, so says Pas Rantau Panjang member Abdul Fatah Harun.

"Most of these divorced women go to parties and are gatal. It is quite obvious why they ended up divorced or why their husbands left them. They are gatal," he said.

The mind-blowing observation on the janda left Women, Family and Community Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil seething.Winding up points raised by members during the 9th Malaysia Plan debate, she demanded a retraction from Abdul Fatah.

However, he retorted defiantly, clearly itching for a fight with the Minister: "I never said all women fell in this category... just a small group. There is no need to get worked up. I am not going to withdraw the word gatal either."

And as Shahrizat’s temperatures rose, Abdul Fatah’s level of coolness dipped.

"We must analyse if divorces are due to the men or the women. Divorced women are easily spotted at functions through their gatal behaviour.

"It is as if they do not regret that they have been divorced. Women who are widowed do not behave in a flirtatious manner. They are sad and quiet," he declared with aplomb.

By now MPs of both genders were calling on Abdul Fatah to retract his statement.

"My God. I am ashamed of what we have just heard. I order him to retract what he had said," shouted Shahrizat angrily at Fatah.

Abdul Fatah: "I said many of them. From the way they behave at functions we know the problem is with the divorced women and not the husbands."

Shahrizat shot back:."I don't know if he is talking from his own experience. I am surprised by his remarks. Where did you meet this kind of women?"

BN Bukit Gantang member Tan Lian Hoe called on Abdul Fatah to retract the word gatal and its usage on divorced women.

DAP Bukit Mertajam member Chong Eng called on Abdul Fatah to come to his senses.

"Come on... be a gentleman... retract what you have said. It gives a wrong picture of divorced women. You have said divorces are because of ‘gatal’ women. We have to correct this perception in the House," said Chong Eng.

BN Kota Baru member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim scored a good point over Abdul Fatah with his biting remark which left many in stitches: "How many parties have you gone to, to notice this type of behaviour. It is not fair on women."

Deputy Speaker Datuk Lim Si Cheng had a tough time controlling the House.

Lim asked Shahrizat to continue but Shahrizat was not about to shut up and move on. She said she had always defended Malaysian men as gentlemen whenever she travelled abroad.

"I think I will have to retract that, at least when it comes to PAS men. They are not that great after all," she hissed as Abdul Fatah and the PAS brigade in the House looked on indifferently.

This only spurred the women to continue protesting and more men to join in — "tarik balik gatal" was the refrain.

Abdul Fatah must have found the refrain either irritating or deafening and he finally agreed to their demand.

"I withdraw gatal but not my line of thought on the matter. My facts stand," he shot back as Lim called on Shahrizat and the House to accept his retraction and move on.

(dipetik dari The Malay Mail, 27 April 2006)