Women shouldn't become judges: PAS

Women shouldn't become judges: PAS

MALAYSIA: Feminists and legal groups have chided the leader of Malaysia's fundamentalist Islamic opposition party for saying women are not suited to be criminal judges or defense officials because of their "women's instinct."

Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) - the country's largest opposition group - said women are suited to certain jobs and should work only if it doesn't interfere with their duties as wives and mothers, newspapers reported on Thursday.

He was defending similar comments he made in a speech earlier this week.

Women "are not suited to undertake certain jobs, such as becoming Wildlife Department director, navy commander or defense minister, as it is not part of their women's instinct," Abdul Hadi was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

Women could be welfare or education workers "or even judges, but they should not hear cases involving serious crime," he was quoted as saying. --AP