Indonesian security minister Mohammad Mahfud MD made the remarks during a speech at the university.
Jakarta:
Indonesian minister under fire after comparing coronavirus to rebellious women in remarks to allay public fears about loosening COVID-19 restrictions in the Southeast Asian archipelago.
Women’s groups and social media users criticized the apparent joke of Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud MD, who made the comments during an online speech at a local university earlier this week.
“Are we going to be locked up forever? We can adapt to the situation while taking care of our health,” the minister said on Tuesday.
“The other day I received a meme from my colleague … who says: Corona is like your wife. At first you tried to control it, then you realize that you can’t. Then, you learn to live with it. “
Critics called the remarks sexist and underscored Jakarta’s weak response to the virus epidemic.
“This statement not only reflects the superficial power of the government to solve the problem of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also shows the sexist and misogynistic mood of officials,” said Dinda Nisa Yura, chief executive officer. of the Women’s Solidarity group.
Mahfud’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Indonesia is deploying some 340,000 troops to combat widespread violations of social distancing as coronavirus infections increase in the fourth most populous country in the world.
The move comes as the government plans to reopen closed businesses next week, fearing a collapse of the largest economy in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia has confirmed approximately 24,000 cases of COVID-19 and 1,496 deaths, but the country’s more than 260 million people has some of the lowest detection rates in the world.
Researchers estimate that the actual number of deaths from viruses is several times higher than the official toll.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
