M’sians wear sanitary pads on face to protest appointment of ‘outside’ senator, later apologises for stunt

Malaysians in Negeri Sembilan wear sanitary pads on faces to protest political appointment

To protest the appointment of an “outsider” as senator, members of the Negeri Sembilan Democratic Action Party (DAP) Veterans Club wore sanitary pads on their faces.

The stunt comes after the party selected a politician from Johor to replace the current Negeri Sembilan senator.

According to Oriental Daily, the sanitary pad masks were supposed to symbolise how the state DAP committee members were afraid to speak up in protest of the selection.

Sanitary pad masks meant to symbolise committee members’ silence

According to The Star, Kesavadas Nair — the current Senator of Negeri Sembilan — is set to step down from his post at the end of this month.

Having served two terms, the 66-year-old is no longer eligible for re-election.

In light of this, the DAP nominated Vincent Wu Him Ven — a politician from Johor — for the role.

Appointment of Johor politician led to discontent

Unfortunately, not everyone was celebrating the selection.

Believing it is best to select someone from the state, the Negeri Sembilan DAP Veterans Club staged a protest last Sunday (3 Aug) to voice their discontent.

What caught public attention, however, was the unique way they did so.

Club members donned sanitary pads on their faces during the meeting. Chairman Lee Kong Hing said, “The sanitary pad symbolised thickness, impermeability, and privacy, just like how the committee members were afraid to speak up and remained silent.”

Source: Oriental Daily

He questioned why a politician from Johor was chosen when there were qualified locals:

Negeri Sembilan has 120 branches and tens of thousands of party members — is there no one qualified? Are we all dead? This is an insult to Negeri Sembilan DAP members.

Slammed for stunt

While eye-catching, the stunt has drawn criticism, with some describing it as disrespectful to women.

“Using sanitary pads as tools of attack or ridicule only reinforces the shame and stigma long associated with menstruation,” said Wanita DAP chief Teo Nie Ching.

She added that many girls in Malaysia are forced to miss school because they do not have enough money to afford sanitary products.

The Wanita DAP Facebook page also condemned the act, saying: “The menstrual pad is not a tool for personal gain or internal protest.”

According to Malaysiakini, Mr Lee Kong Hing has since apologised for his actions, claiming he had no intention of discriminating or offending women.