KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Wanita DAP has reportedly criticised the Negeri Sembilan DAP Veterans Club for using sanitary pads as gimmicks during a protest against the party’s leadership, calling the act inappropriate and disrespectful to women.
According to Malaysiakini, Wanita DAP chief and Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said she did not agree with the move, as the move reinforced harmful stigma surrounding menstruation.
“Using sanitary pads as tools of attack or ridicule only reinforces the shame and stigma long associated with menstruation,” she was quoted as saying.
Teo also reportedly pointed to the reality of period poverty in Malaysia, noting that some students are forced to miss school due to their inability to afford menstrual products.
“And yet, here they are wasting large quantities of sanitary pads just to mock their political rivals,” she reportedly said.
The Negeri Sembilan DAP Veterans Club reportedly staged a protest yesterday over the appointment of Johor native Vincent Wu as senator, criticising the decision as a betrayal of local interests.
During the protest, members wore custom-made masks made from sanitary pads to symbolise what they described as the state leadership’s silence on the matter.
Lee Kong Hing, the club’s chariman, reportedly described the masks as being thick, dense, highly absorbent, and and soundproof — qualities he reportedly said “perfectly symbolise how seamlessly silent the state leadership is”.
In a Facebook post last night, the Federal Territories wing of Wanita DAP condemned the act, urging party members to uphold dignity and engage in respectful discourse.
“The menstrual pad is not a tool for personal gain or internal protest,” read the post.
“It represents the lived experiences of millions of women, and should not be exploited to make a political point, especially within our own party,” it added.