Mohammad Said bin Yusof
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Mohammad Said bin Yusof (commonly abbreviated Mohd Said Yusof) was a member of the Malaysian Parliament
in the lower house of the Dewan Rakyat
, representing the constituency of Jasin
in the state of Melaka
. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), the leading party of the governing Barisan Nasional
(BN) coalition.
After the dissolution of Parliament on February 13, 2008, Mohammad Said was dropped by BN as a candidate for the seat of Jasin in the 2008 general election, to be replaced by another UMNO-affiliated member, Datuk Wira Ahmad Hamzah.
. After the New Straits Times
publicised the issue, Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition Lim Kit Siang from the Democratic Action Party
(DAP) moved to refer the issue to the Dewan Rakyat House Rights and Privileges Committee. After the motion failed, the Chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC), Shahrir Abdul Samad
, announced his resignation as a matter of principle.
Shortly after, Said announced he was the MP implicated in the scandal. However, he said he had only requested leniency in the case concerned, as the shipment had been confiscated on the basis of a technicality. Although the diameter
of the logs concerned exceeded the maximum limit of 152.4 centimetres, Said requested leniency on the behalf of one of his constituents, because the logs had been partially hollowed out. The Department rejected Said's request to simply compound the shipment. Said later told the press that although he felt the decision was right, some discretion should have been exercised in order to aid the Bumiputra
entrepreneur
whose interests were affected.
On May 10, 2006, following an expose by the New Straits Times, Said admitted that the company he was trying to help in the log scandal was in fact his own company, Binyu Sof Enterprise.
MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin
, who made sexist remarks referencing menstruation
against Fong Po Kuan
, a female Batu Gajah
MP from the Democratic Action Party. The incident occurred during a heated argument with Fong over ceiling leakages in the Parliament Houses
, accumulating to both men stating the following in Malay
:
Both Mohammad Said and Bung Mokhtar's remark led to an uproar among women's groups. The two MPs would later issue a "public apology" to women "who might have been offended" by their words during a meeting with Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
on May 18, 2007.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Mohammad Said bin Yusof (commonly abbreviated Mohd Said Yusof) was a member of the Malaysian Parliament
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
in the lower house of the Dewan Rakyat
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
, representing the constituency of Jasin
Jasin
Jasin District is one of the three districts in the State of Malacca, Malaysia. The other two are the Central Malacca district and the Alor Gajah district. Jasin District is the southernmost of the three districts, and borders the State of Johor. Jasin is also the name of the main town in the...
in the state of Melaka
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), the leading party of the governing Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
(BN) coalition.
After the dissolution of Parliament on February 13, 2008, Mohammad Said was dropped by BN as a candidate for the seat of Jasin in the 2008 general election, to be replaced by another UMNO-affiliated member, Datuk Wira Ahmad Hamzah.
Illegal timber exports
In May 2006, a scandal arose over an MP who allegedly asked the Melaka Customs and Excise Department for special treatment in the handling of an illegal timber import shipment from IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. After the New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
publicised the issue, Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition Lim Kit Siang from the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
(DAP) moved to refer the issue to the Dewan Rakyat House Rights and Privileges Committee. After the motion failed, the Chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC), Shahrir Abdul Samad
Shahrir Abdul Samad
Datuk Seri Utama Shahrir Abdul Samad is the former Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, a member of Parliament, and the former chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club . He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation, the largest political party in the...
, announced his resignation as a matter of principle.
Shortly after, Said announced he was the MP implicated in the scandal. However, he said he had only requested leniency in the case concerned, as the shipment had been confiscated on the basis of a technicality. Although the diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
of the logs concerned exceeded the maximum limit of 152.4 centimetres, Said requested leniency on the behalf of one of his constituents, because the logs had been partially hollowed out. The Department rejected Said's request to simply compound the shipment. Said later told the press that although he felt the decision was right, some discretion should have been exercised in order to aid the Bumiputra
Bumiputra
Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
whose interests were affected.
On May 10, 2006, following an expose by the New Straits Times, Said admitted that the company he was trying to help in the log scandal was in fact his own company, Binyu Sof Enterprise.
"Bocor" remark
In a May 9, 2007 Parliament session, Mohammad Said supported KinabatanganKinabatangan
Kinabatangan is a district located in Sandakan Division, in the east of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 86,783 in 2000. Kinabatangan is mostly populated with Sungei Race, one of the Indigenous Group in Sabah...
MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin
Bung Mokhtar Radin
Datuk Bung Mokhtar bin Radin is a Malaysian politician. He is a member of United Malays National Organisation and also Member of the Malaysian Parliament for the constituency of Kinabatangan, Sabah.- "Bocor" remark :...
, who made sexist remarks referencing menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
against Fong Po Kuan
Fong Po Kuan
Fong Po Kuan is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party political party. She is able to communicate in Chinese, English, and Malay. She did her STPM in Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh in 1992...
, a female Batu Gajah
Batu Gajah
Batu Gajah is a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia, about 24 km from Ipoh, the Perak state capital.-Origins and History:...
MP from the Democratic Action Party. The incident occurred during a heated argument with Fong over ceiling leakages in the Parliament Houses
Malaysian Houses of Parliament
The Malaysian Houses of Parliament is a building complex where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. The structure is located at the Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, right next to the Malaysian National Monument.-Description:...
, accumulating to both men stating the following in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
:
Both Mohammad Said and Bung Mokhtar's remark led to an uproar among women's groups. The two MPs would later issue a "public apology" to women "who might have been offended" by their words during a meeting with Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is a Malaysian politician and the current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in the Malaysian cabinet...
on May 18, 2007.