I refer to the malaysiakini report Suhakam blasts sexist MPs .

Having been given the mandate by the cabinet and our PM, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, was expected to deal appropriately and conclusively with the buffoonish sexist 'bocor' remark of Jasin MP Mohd Said Yusof and Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokthar Radin. But what she managed to do with the mandate can only be said to be a downright disappointment.

After meeting them for 45 minutes, she was ready to accept their apologies on behalf of all the gentle ladies and men. Has she made proper use of the mandate given her?

What did the Batu Gajah MP and the gentle ladies and men of the nation received? A qualified, insincere, non-remorseful, meaningless utterance of words. And our mandated minister calls it an apology and calls for 'closure' of the fiasco. Has the minister sunk to the low levels of the Bung-Said duo? It is hoped not but it appears to be so by her actions.

She has not only failed the cabinet, our gentleman PM but also all the gentle ladies and men of this nation shamed by the remarks of the duo. Being so-mandated, she should have ensured the duo did more. Their apologies should have come from their hearts and they should have expressed remorse and given their sincere assurance that henceforth they will be ever so careful with their utterances and be gender and race sensitive.

Why are their 'apologies' unacceptable? They have just tried to explain away their remarks. There is no 'if', their remarks are definitely offensive to gentle ladies and men. And to say that they never had the intention to insult or hurt the feelings of anyone by their remarks is being downright insensitive and goes to show that they have left their thinking caps somewhere else even when they are in the august house.

As MPs, being representatives of the people, they should not have done so and should be in full control of their faculties and behaviour at all times. To defend themselves (at least Said reportedly did) by saying that they are 'champions' of women's rights is truly laughable and an insult.

The mandated minister may want the fiasco closed but that is only a wish of hers for civil society will remember the non-forgivable utterances of this Bung-Said duo for a long time yet. To accept their apologies would make this nation one of laughable gentle ladies and men.