The Women and Family Development Ministry should impose a 30-day self-quarantine order over its series of failed public service announcement posters offering tips to women on some of the “best” ways to work from home during the Movement Control Order.
In the next 30 days, I would like to challenge minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun and her top officials to conduct self-experiments to find out if the tips from the ministry to the womenfolk in Malaysia through their #wanitacegahcovid19 campaign are actually sound and sane advice.
To recap: On Tuesday, the ministry through two campaign posters shared on its social media platforms, suggested working mums don their office attire complete with heels, make-up and accessories while working from home.
To avoid conflict with their spouse, the ministry advised women to not nag and instead imitate the voice of Japanese cartoon character Doraemon, followed by a flirty giggle to convey the message to their spouse on the correct way to hang clothes.
If the ministry is keen on taking up my 30-day challenge, I would like to suggest Rina and Co document and make public their findings.
First, the report must include how many within the ministry are able to sound like Doraemon. (I hope Rina makes the cut).
Participants must also jot down how long they take to doll themselves up every morning and how many times they re-apply make-up throughout the day.
Nonsense you say?
Well this is what the ministry was advocating Malaysian women to do.
What on earth was the ministry thinking when it saw it fit to tell women they need to sound like a Japanese robot cartoon character to create a happy household?
And to wear office attire at home under this heat? Seriously?
Is the Doraemon tip backed by research? Were studies conducted on this matter or did the ministry rely on its gut feeling when it decided to include it in the #wanitacegahcovid19 campaign?
During this MCO period, mothers are already stressed as they find it to be a daily struggle to be working from home.
Working while trying to squeeze in time to cook, buy groceries, take care of their children and even do the laundry has been the daily routine of many women in the country in the last 14 days.
Some mothers have even lamented they can’t wait to go back to the office as they need a vacation from the never-ending household chores.
Instead of offering sound and well researched advice on how best to multitask or how women can empower themselves during these testing times, the ministry decides to waste resources on tips that are utter rubbish.
The sheer stupidity of the campaign has made Malaysia famous. Thanks to Rina and Co, we have made international headlines for the wrong reasons.
The ministry’s director-general had last night issued an apology stating it was sorry if certain tips shared were not suitable or touched on the sensitivities of certain groups and that they would be more careful in the future.
Surely, the ministry can come up with something better.
Here are some questions I hope Rina will answer:
i) How much did the ministry spend for the campaign?
ii) Were these campaign materials vetted and approved by the ministry before being published?
iii) Was it an in-house campaign or was it outsourced to a third party?
Malaysians, not just the women but men too, are waiting for a sound explanation from the minister and its ministry.
Sorry alone is no cure, Rina Harun and Co.
