updated version Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin and Jasin MP Mohd Said Yusof were said to have apologised today over their sexist remarks made in Parliament last week.
Their apology was directed to Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan and all Malaysian women, according to a report in The Star Online.
However when malaysiakini contacted Mohd Said for comment, he denied making any apology.
"Why should I apologise? This was a matter raised during debate in Parliament. This is usual," he said.
He also said he would meet Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil on Friday to explain his remarks.
Bung Mokhtar did not pick up his telephone when contacted but was quoted in Sin Chew Daily denying issuing any apology.
"No such thing," he was quoted as saying.
In a statement, Shahrizat confirmed the meeting with the duo. She said the matter had been discussed at the weekly cabinet meeting this morning and that she had been "given the mandate to follow up on the issue".
The two was supposed to call separate press conferences early this afternoon but they were hastily cancelled a few hours later.
It is not clear why there appeared to have been a change of position on the issue of apology by both parliamentarians.
The parliamentarians, during debate last week on the lack of maintenance resulting in leaks in the Parliament building after heavy downpours, had attacked Fong who raised the issue.
"Where's the leak? The Batu Gajah MP leaks every month too," Bung said referring to DAP representative of the constituency, Fong Po Kuan on Wednesday [video clip].
A motion by Fong to censure the duo was rejected by Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib the next day on the grounds that the issue was not raised at the time of the incident.
Since then the two BN MPs have come under intense fire.
Protest at ministry
Yesterday, the Joint-Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) organised a protest at the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry over the issue.
About 60 people, carrying placards and banners, participated in the hour-long protest.
Shahrizat had said on Monday that it would be an honourable thing for the MPs to apologise.
Today's print edition of The Star reported that Mohd Said had denied making such statements, saying that the media had blown it out of proportion.
According to the report, when asked if he would apologise, Mohd Said said: “Let it be. The press exaggerated it. I didn’t say it. I don’t want to comment anymore.”
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