SHAH ALAM - A remark made during the opening of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2026 saw criticism after it was widely perceived as misogynistic.
DSA Exhibition and Conference Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin drew attention during his speech when he shared an anecdote involving his wife while addressing the exhibition’s theme.
“Let me tell you about some problems I had with my wife last night. I came late because of the function. And she asked me why are you late? And I said, well, we have this DSA exhibition.
"And she said, oh, the exhibition that promotes weapons destruction. So I thought to myself, why did God create women? To ask questions like that," he said.
He went on to justify the exhibition’s focus, adding that any product was as good as the person using it.
"Anything can be a weapon, even a knife, a kitchen knife, which is used for cutting vegetables and meat. So that is my answer," he said.
He concluded the anecdote by saying that his wife kept quiet.
The remarks have since drawn backlash online, with critics arguing that such comments were inappropriate for a high-level international defence event and reflected outdated gender stereotypes.
As of publication, Sinar Daily has reached out to the Defence Ministry for comment on the matter, but has yet to receive a response.