KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid has attempted to defend her remark claiming women are not meant to be leaders by quoting verses from the Quran that suggest men must always be in more dominant positions.
The daughter of Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tried justifying her controversial remark through an Instagram post, saying her comments were intended for women aspiring for top positions, such as wanting to become the prime minister or chief minister of a state.
She said there was no issue with women wanting to take on other roles such as becoming a member of Parliament, a state assemblyman or even company owners.
“What I meant was for leadership roles like the prime minister, menteri besar, chief ministers, or those of similar stature.
“However great and accomplished a woman is, she will always be the supporter of successes and weaknesses for those whom we call men.
“Without women, who are men,” she wrote.
Nurulhidayah, in her post, also cited the Surah An-Nisa, verse 34, from the Quran which touches on the traditional roles of men and women.
She had earlier left netizens bemused over her assertions related to women’s rights and how they are not meant to be leaders.
She made the remark during a 23-second video, which is understood to be a teaser for an upcoming Politically Frank interview with Sinar Daily, the English-language sister portal to Sinar Harian.
“I think women are not born to be a leader (sic). A man are (sic) born to be a leader. So, I think for human right (sic), for women right (sic), I think everyone should have the rights. Because we are all human (sic),” she had said.
Nurulhidayah had in another teaser video, also praised opposition leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a sweet talker, with a sweet personality.
Both videos had gained significant traction after being posted on the portal’s TikTok social media profile. – The Vibes, June 1, 2022
