KUALA LUMPUR: Langkawi member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah has apologised to those affected by the sexist comment he made towards Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in the Dewan Rakyat recently.
In his apology, Mohd Suhaimi said he only wanted to highlight Langkawi's capabilities in attracting more tourists to visit the island.
"I apologise for the mistake made during my 2024 Budget debate dated Oct 26. My apology is towards the Dewan Rakyat Speaker (Tan Sri Johari Abdul) and other MPs.
"My speech might have affected some (MPs), offended them and caused them stress.
"However, I would also like to emphasise that as the Langkawi representative, this issue is very close to my heart and it is also not right for any parties to belittle or dismiss the concerns that I have," he said in Dewan Rakyat, today.
On Oct 26, Kok had asked Mohd Suhaimi about the dress code in Langkawi. She also enquired whether shorts were allowed to be worn on the island during Mohd Shuhaimi's debate session.
However, rather than providing a straightforward answer, Mohd Shuhaimi's response was laced with sarcasm, accompanied by a gender-biased comment.
He also insinuated that it would not make a difference if Kok chose to not wear anything at all, which elicited boisterous laughter from the male MPs who were present at the time.
Following this, Young Syefura Othman (PH-Bentong) had referred Mohd Suhaimi to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee for Mohd Suhaimi's remarks, which contained elements of sexual harassment against Kok.