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There was recently a rather odd set of tips posted by Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, the ministry offered tips to prevent household strife for married couples stuck at home together.

“If you see your partner do something that is contrary to what you want, avoid nagging but use ‘humorous’ words like ‘this is the way to hang up clothes to dry, my dear’ while emulating Doraemon’s tone and follow through with a giggle,” said one of the tip.

There was soon a backlash, with many finding the tips incredibly condescending, as well as making a mockery of real problems faced by victims of domestic violence.

Parodies

Parodies soon popped up regarding the "tips".

One of the more viral ones was by Malaysian actress-singer Chelsia Ng.

In it, she follows one of the tips to a tee.

Which sounds shockingly similar to the Malay dub for Doraemon.

Here's what Ng is saying, by the way:

1. This is how you do the laundry, sayang.

2. Sayang, can you shower now? You stink.

3. Sayang, can you throw the trash away? It's been two days. Thank you.

Perfect.

Another parody comes in the form of a comic drawn by Marianne Tan.

Read it till the end.

Increasing domestic strife in countries under Covid-19 lockdown

One reason for the immediate backlash is the very real danger of violence in some families.

With many families forced to confine themselves at home as part of Covid-19 measures, there has been an increasing trend of arguments, divorces and family violence cases across countries under lockdown.

There are many reasons for the escalating tensions. Stress from losing livelihoods, a loss of control, and a reduction of social services are some reasons that exacerbate conflict at home.

In Singapore, CNA reported that AWARE’s Women’s Helpline has seen a 33 per cent increase in February over calls received in the same month last year.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, you can reach out to AWARE’s Women’s Helpline (1800 777 5555, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm), or to Family Violence Specialist Centres such as PAVE.

Related article

Image via Ng's Facebook

 

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