Petition condemning Fong Chi Keong’s speech launched

Fong Chi Keong

A group of local associations has launched a petition condemning directly appointed lawmaker Fong Chi Keong for his comments on domestic violence, made at the Legislative Assembly earlier this week.
“I really disagree [with] the secretary’s advocacy for zero-tolerance. You cannot clap with only one hand. It always takes two hands. [In cases where] the wife is chewing the husband’s ear off, if the wife did not talk back when the husband reprimanded her, the husband would not have beaten her,” he said during the domestic violence legislation debate.
Fong also said that he did not understand the concept of sexual assault between couples. “I do not understand what sexual assault is between husband and wife. There is no sexual assault in marriage. The purpose of marriage is to satisfy sexual needs. So, if a wife wants to have sex and her husband does not want it, is it domestic violence?”
The petition now launched – titled “We strongly condemn Fong Chi Keong’s speech on domestic violence!” – states that Fong Chi Keong’s speech is “inflammatory and discriminatory” and “not only offends women and men withholding the value of gender equality by reinforcing appalling gender stereotypes, it also aggravates violence and threatens the family and societal harmony.”
“The Macao Gender Education and other supporting organizations strongly condemns Mr. Fong and requests him to apologize publically for his improper speech. We also urge all members of the Macau society not to tolerate any language and behavior supporting or contributing to domestic violence,” the petition reads.