KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin will have to explain his statement on Veveonah Mosibin to the Dewan Negara soon and issue an apology to the relevant party.
Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said this in the Upper House today, adding that Zahidi will be referred to the Parliament's Rights and Privileges Committee should he fail to provide an explanation to the Senate.
"After having examined this matter remotely and closely as well as extensively and specifically, we should first agree to get him (Zahidi) to come to this House to give his views, explanation and eventually apologise to those involved.
"If he refuses to do so, maybe by next week, only then we should refer him to the Rights and Privileges Committee.
"That is my opinion and I hope we could all record this as our preliminary decision before we refer this (matter) to the committee," he told the House.
Rais was responding to a motion by Senator Alan Ling Sie Kiong who requested for the Upper House to demand an apology from Zahidi as well as to refer the deputy minister to the Rights and Privileges Committee.
Ling said getting Zahidi to apologise to the Dewan Negara as a show of his utmost respect to the institution was the only way the Senate could preserve its good name.
In June, Veveonah, 18, made headlines after a video of her climbing a tree to gain better Internet access to sit for online examinations during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) was shared on social media.
The plight of the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student from Kampung Sapatalang in Pitas also caught the attention of Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.
Zahidi meanwhile came under fire after accusing Veveonah of climbing up the tree in a bid to gain views for her YouTube channel, in the Dewan Negara last week.
During the Dewan Negara session on Sept 3, Senator Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin had asked on the government's action in ensuring proper internet access in rural areas citing Veveonah's case.
Zahidi responded to the supplementary question by saying the Sabahan student was just a YouTuber and was not sitting for an exam.
He said his department had conducted checks and that Veveonah was just trying to make a name for herself and did it for entertainment purposes.
After continuous backlash by politicians and netizens, Zahidi apologised to Veveonah on the same day and said he had received "inaccurate information" on the matter.
On Tuesday, UMS Board of Directors chairman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun verified that Veveonah did indeed sit for her final semester examinations via Internet in June.
The former state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister added that Veveonah was an exemplary student and has been offered to pursue a Marine Science degree at UMS.