X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Malaysian Professor Triggers Backlash For Saying Women Should 'Act Dumb' In Order To Attract Men

11 Jun, 2021
Malaysian Professor Triggers Backlash For Saying Women Should 'Act Dumb' In Order To Attract Men

Her remarks were deemed sexist and misogynistic by other Twitter users.

A Malaysian professor has been lambasted for a video in which she states that women should “dumb themselves down” in order to attract a partner.

Dr Muhaya Mohamad, who’s a well-known ophthalmologist and media personality in the country, allegedly posted a video on her social media channels in which she aired her opinion on why women are marrying late.

The video has since been deleted but was reshared by a Twitter user on Tuesday (June 8).

sexist language examples

Image source: Screengrab from Twitter / emptyshadoww

Among the many incendiary remarks made by Muhaya, she stated that women were driven to succeed due to “high levels of testosterone”, and advised them to “stop trying to liberate yourself to be equal to men”.

One of her tips for women to end their singlehood included “dumbing down so men will like us, otherwise, we will end up marrying much later”.

With regard to religion, the motivational speaker gave the example that women should always look to men for leadership, regardless of their status in the workplace.

According to the Malay Mail, Muhaya was quoted as saying: “All imams are men, prophets were also men.

“Let’s say in the office you have a general worker who’s male and a female CEO, when you’re praying, the man is still leading you no matter what.”

Not surprisingly, her opinions have been slammed as “sexist” and “misogynistic” by Malaysians.

Said Twitter user Farrah who reuploaded the clip to her channel: “If women are too independent, we would have high testosterone? I would rather be single if my stupidity attracts my future spouse.”

weh wtf is this did she really say kita kena jadi bodoh baru laki suka kalau tak lambat kahwin?????? If women are too independent we would have high testosterone? I would rather be single if my stupidity attracts my future spouse??? pic.twitter.com/rJiI1dXcYP

— mouse (@emptyshadoww) June 8, 2021

Her post has attracted over 1.5 million views on Twitter, with a majority condemning Muhaya for her comments.

If they are too scared to approach a fine, confident & independent lady like you, they are not for you. The right man with the sekufu intellect will come. NEVER LOWER DOWN YOUR INTELLECTUAL LEVEL TO ATTRACT AN INSECURE MAN, IT’S NOT WORTH IT. — Harin (@Kfaizureen) June 9, 2021

In an interview with World of Buzz, Farrah shared that she felt insulted by the insinuations that women should “degrade themselves just to feed a man’s ego”.

However, some noted that this could be typical of a “boomer mindset”, to which one netizen disagreed.

I’m a babyboomer, but I certainly and absolutely do not agree. And I happen to have a PhD since 1996, happily married since 1985. — normawati shariff (@mawashariff) June 9, 2021

Another user expressed concern that Muhaya’s rhetoric could be “sending the wrong message” to young women. “Women should definitely not lower their intellectual level just so that they can attract a man,” said the user.

I’m sorry but my mum didn’t raise me to be ‘bodoh-bodoh sikit’ in front of men so that I can ‘bertemu jodoh’. You are sending the wrong message to girls and young women. Women should definitely not lower their intellectual level just so that they can attract a man. https://t.co/xc0G7GsV3O

— Dr. Amalina (@DrAmalinaBakri) June 8, 2021

The issue has also spawned the thread “#bodohbodohsikit” on Twitter, with men voicing their disagreement with Muhaya as well.

As a guy I really am not attracted to #bodohbodohsikit https://t.co/QnDUgvqcza

— Sha’arin Razali Wong (@shaarin) June 9, 2021

To all the girls out there… you don’t need to change to win men’s heart. A study from a biological anthropologist, Helen Fisher showed that 87% of American men prefer to date a confident woman who was more intellectual and better educated than they were. #bodohbodohsikit

— Ku Zilati Ku Shaari (@ku_zilati) June 10, 2021

Muhaya is no stranger to controversy. She had previously come under fire in January this year, reported Malay Mail, for urging those with anxiety to stop taking their prescribed medication.

The issue of sexism in Malaysia also raised its ugly head in March, when a government body was made to apologise for posting a series of “household happiness” posters criticised for being sexist.

The Malaysian women’s ministry had offered tips for how wives should behave during the country’s movement control order period as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reported several news agencies.

One post which triggered backlash advised women to “avoid nagging” their husbands and to imitate the squeaky voice of the cartoon character Doraemon.

This article was first published in AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission. 

Lead image source from Twitter / emptyshadoww.

ALSO READ:

Watch Video: Chinese Woman Misbehaves With Indian Singaporean While He Prays

Teenage Boy Impregnated Minor While Under Probe For Sexually Penetrating Another Underage Girl

Malaysian Professor Triggers Backlash For Saying Women Should Act Dumb In Order To Attract Men

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

asiaone

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Malaysian Professor Triggers Backlash For Saying Women Should 'Act Dumb' In Order To Attract Men
Share:
  • Fear of Death May Motivate Us to Play Games Excessively

    Fear of Death May Motivate Us to Play Games Excessively

  • Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

    Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

  • Quitting After Your Bonus? 74% Of Asiaone Readers Polled Have Thought About It

    Quitting After Your Bonus? 74% Of Asiaone Readers Polled Have Thought About It

  • Fear of Death May Motivate Us to Play Games Excessively

    Fear of Death May Motivate Us to Play Games Excessively

  • Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

    Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

  • Quitting After Your Bonus? 74% Of Asiaone Readers Polled Have Thought About It

    Quitting After Your Bonus? 74% Of Asiaone Readers Polled Have Thought About It

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.