Dr Mahathir Mohamad — who has lately been making a number of interesting observations about gender roles— thinks complete gender equality is a ‘stupid idea’.
The Malay Mail Online reports that Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister feels it is impossible to achieve such an ideal due to ‘incontrovertible physiological differences between men and women’.
According to the report, Dr Mahathir, 89, felt any attempt at reversing gender roles to achieve this kind of equality was ‘misguided’.
“Stupid idea to suggest that men do what women do and women do what men do.
“Muslims must be prepared to defend the stand that there is no absolute equality. It’s not possible,”he was quoted telling the audience at the International Islamic Forum in Putrajaya.
He did make an exception, though, by stating that opportunities for equal rights can be given to women, including a chance to become the country’s prime minister.
Opportunities similar to that, however, should not be given to ‘other matters’, the portal reported Dr Mahathir as saying.
Two days ago Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying that if men did not step-up their game, they would end up as ‘home-keepers’.
He also lashed out at Malaysian men, calling out men in Kelantan specifically, for not measuring up to the more hardworking women.
“In Kelantan, you can see the women working very hard while the men sit in a coffee shop, smoking cigarettes,” he was quoted in this report by The Rakyat Post.
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