Successful marital ties & family bliss are the responsibility of all

Wanita MCA acknowledges the removal of a series of controversial posters on “Tips for mothers working from home” by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development from its Facebook page as well as their apology with an undertaking to be more cautious in future. 

Malaysia is now undergoing unprecedented times when the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) sees the dwellers of most households, especially family members staying at home most of the time, other than the occasional bout of leaving the residence for essential needs.

Being forced to stay together under the same roof over an unexpected prolonged period of time can be quite stressful, thus causing conflict when one’s idiosyncrasies or take-each-other-for-granted attitude get on the nerve of his/her significant other.

We believe that a successful marriage is based on a complementary relationship, and certainly not one based on domination by either spouse as opposed to (expected) subservience by the other spouse. Easier said than done, I know. It takes a great deal of give-and-take by both spouses for any marriage to work and last.

Likewise, either spouse should refrain from responding cantankerously after every domestic argument, or becoming too calculative on expenditures and domestic tasks on the basis of pushing for gender equality because agitation will fester and can lead to the nuptial collapsing.

Times have long changed where having a double income family is a common sight, and necessary, particularly in urban areas. A working mother is as equally exhausted as a working father when she reaches home. 

Thus, nothing delights a mother more than to see her spouse and children sharing in the household chores from cooking to washing up to cleaning the house, ironing clothes, looking after the children, especially before they reach their teenage years, etc. A husband/father is just as responsible in raising a family, nurturing values and contributing towards household chores.

A woman’s status is no longer confined to the domestic sphere. Under the current partial lockdown, it is more pertinent for the Women’s Ministry to address possible increase of domestic violence as pointed out by the Women’s Aid Organisation (The Malay Mail Online, 1 April 2020), mental health issues or even incest. This is especially so for lower income groups where many family members cooped up in one single flat are not at liberty to move around as they could within a landed property.

Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Wanita MCA National Chairperson

-MCA online-