Malaysian minister tweets against petty gender-based handshake politics

France may have a young, gender-equality crusading President Emmanuel Macron. Canada has dashing, feminist, refugee-loving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Malaysia, has our very own crusader in the shape of Khairy Jamaluddin aka KJ, who tweeted in support of inter-sex handshaking. Small steps people.

His comments came after photos of US First Lady Melania Trump shaking hands with the Saudi King went viral for the wrong reasons: it seems that many took issue with a man shaking hands with a woman, and one not wearing a headscarf. KJ went further to make a comment on Malaysia’s own current debate over topic.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques greets Mrs Trump. And we’ve stopped inter-gender shaking of hands,” he tweeted, in what appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek dig at the petty debates so often engulfing Malaysian politics and daily life.

Saudi Arabian laws tends to follow an extreme interpretation of Islam, which includes forbidding any touching between unrelated Saudi men and women.

Global papers The Telegraph and USA Today, were quick to point out that neither Melania, nor Trump’s daughter Ivanka wore a headscarf. Those with a shred of memory, and ability Google, were quick to point out that President Trump had criticised Michelle Obama when she was First Lady, and chose not to don the headscarf. He accused Ms. Obama of “not being sensitive”.

For the most part, Malaysia’s laws of gender mixing remain liberal in the Muslim-majority country. However, in the state of Kelatan gender segregation occurs in the public sphere: hair salons, supermarket checkout counters and sports tournaments. Even cinemas must adhere to the strict Sharia codes of the state, should they intend on staying open.

The rationale from PAS, the Islamic ruling party in the state, is the policy safeguards women and curbs sexual harassment. The implementation of Sharia (Islamic) law in Malaysia continues to be a hot topic in Parliament, with some seeing 2017 are a crucial battleground.

Thanks for the tweet and stay woke, KJ.

 

 



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