Name-calling should not be allowed in Parliament and all elected representatives should refrain from making such unparliamentary utterances, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Ong Tee Kiat said today.

"Whatever utterances made by anybody, whether a he or she, backbencher or minister, must observe the decorum and this should cut across party lines," Ong, who is also a former deputy speaker, told malaysiakini today.

Ong was responding to a complaint by Parliament's youngest member, DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan, 26, who said on Wednesday that she was harassed a number of times by Barisan Nasional MPs during the current session of Parliament.

In the latest incident, Fong was rudely dismissed by Deputy Information Minister Khalid Yunus when he was asked to reveal the name of the company which had paid for BN's television advertisements in the November polls ([#1] "Youngest MP harassed by old fogeys",[/#] April 5).

According to Parliament's Hansard, Fong stood up to seek clarification from Khalid but before she managed to say anything, Khalid said, "Ini apa hendak ini, budak datang dari mana ni?" ("What do you want? Where's this girl from?")

She added that Batang Lupar BN MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had also called her "budak kecil" (small girl) the previous week.

"I personally detest this kind of utterances. Any unparliamentary utterances made would be unbecoming of the MPs, whether in the course of debate or other sessions," Ong said, adding that there was a long list of unparliamentary utterances highlighted for MPs to refrain from.

Meanwhile, MCA MP for PJ Utara Siew Mei Fun said that the remarks made on Fong were not based on her gender, but more of her being an opposition member.

"Of course, as a woman I don't feel it was right for such utterances to be made, but I also don't think it was said because she was a woman. It was more of a ruling party versus opposition sentiment," she said when contacted.

Siew added that the opposition also resorted to the same attitude towards the BN MPs.

This was not the first time Fong was rudely treated by her counterparts.

Last month, she and another woman MP from DAP, Chong Eng, complained that they were sexual harassed by BN MPs when they were interjected with phrases such as "minta masuk sikit" (allow me to enter) during parliamentary debates.

DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok told malaysiakini that the "budak" utterances were clearly a case of harrassment against Fong.

"I don't think the minister would have made such an utterance if Fong was a man. Being one of the more senior MPs, Khalid's remark was not proper at all," Kok said.

She added that age and gender should not matter in Parliament.

"If we were to look back into our political history, the Labour Party in the 60s had an 18-year-old secretary general, Tan Kai Hee," Kok said.

All that mattered, she added, was maturity.

"By saying such things, Khalid has not only disrespected Fong, but also people of the Batu Gajah constituency. Worse still, he has let himself down by revealing his low standard," Kok said.

According to Universiti Sains Malaysia's associate professor Dr. Rohana Ariffin, the deputy minister's actions reflect a wider society's attitude of ageism and sexism.

"People are slow to change. They do not know that ageism and sexism are no longer politically correct. Whoever make such remarks should be corrected by others who are present so that this practice will no longer continue." she said.

Khalid's reaction towards Fong in the Parliamentary session was also condemned by women's groups.

All Women's Action Society president Maria Chin Abdullah said that the remark was a form of gender discrimination.

"It's an unacceptable behaviour for an elected representative of the people," said Chin, who is also coordinator for the Women Agenda for Change. "It's unacceptable at any other level of the society."

Women Aid Organisation executive secretary Ivy Josiah said that the utterances were not just sexism but ageism as well.

According to the women rights activist, MPs should be respectful of their peers and treat them on an equal term.

"Age and gender should not matter," said Ivy Josiah.

She also called upon all MPs to respond to questions professionally instead of resorting to insults and divert from the real issues at hand.