Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo has slammed the Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for claiming that non-Malays are less sensitive to statutory rape in Parliament yesterday.

The claim was made as an explanation for statistics which indicated that in 2013, 80 percent of underage rape in the country were being committed by Malays.

“This does not mean that Malays commit the highest percentage of underage rape in the country, it is a result of how sensitive Malays are to acts like this being done by youngsters as opposed to other races, who are less sensitive to the issue. This might have decreased the non-Malay underage rape numbers in police records compared to the actual amount of rape that would have occurred,” said the Deputy Home Minister.

Gobind Singh responded today by questioning the  basis upon which non Malays are less sensitive to statutory rape, calling it “absolute and utter rubbish.”

The Puchong MP said the fact that the lower percentage of reported non-Muslim statutory rapes does not support racial factors as relevant in the crime, nor does it show that non Malays are less sensitive to child rape.

Gobind called the statement “shallow, irresponsible and outrageous”, especially coming from a deputy Home Minister.

He called on the Deputy Home Minister to retract his statement and apologise if no evidence existed to substantiate this claim.