Following The Expulsion Of Maori Leaders, New Zealand's Parliament No Longer Required Ties

JAKARTA - New Zealand's male MPs are no longer required to wear ties in parliament after the rule was lifted following protests by Maori MPs, calling the tie a 'colonial rope'.

This started when the Speaker of Parliament Trevor Mallard prevented MP who is the Maori Leader Rawiri Waititi from asking questions in the Parliament session on Tuesday 9 February. The reason is that Rawiri chose to wear Taonga, a green Maori pendant, instead of wearing a tie to complete her appearance.

Twice Rawiri tried to ask questions, twice he was prohibited from speaking, until finally Mallard threw Rawiri out of the courtroom. This incident immediately sparked debate.

Waititi argues that the act of wearing Taonga entitles him to convey Maori cultural identity everywhere.

"I took off the colonial snare (tie) as a sign that he was continuing to colonize, choke, suppress Maori rights which Mallard said gave us all equality," he said.

After meeting with the Committee on Standing Orders, Trevor Mallard said on Wednesday evening that he had decided to make the tie optional in the Myanmar Parliament.

"As speaker of parliament, I am guided by committee discussions and decisions, and therefore ties are no longer considered part of the 'business suit," explained Mallard.

Most recently, in the Myanmar Parliament hearing on Thursday local time, Waititi and a number of other lawmakers did not wear ties.