Gerakan Wanita vice chief Azmar Md Ilias has come to the defence of party legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh, who has been accused of being sexist.

She said Baljit suggested that the party needed more multiracial and women candidates as well as youths.

Azmar said this was discussed before he took to the floor with the agreement that he would cite her as reference.

“Since I had no intention of being a candidate and to avoid him to be seen to be lobbying for anyone in particular, I agreed that he will put it candidly.

“However, now Baljit whom I see as my brother and comrade is now labelled as a sexist.

“This is unfair and made worse when only part of his sentence was reported and the other half referring to me deleted for reasons only known to the reporter,” she added in a statement.

Azmar, who has been with Gerakan since 1985, expressed hope that this would clarify the situation and that the main intention of the speech – which was to have more multiracial, youths and women representation in the next general election would not be overlooked.

Baljit had said that the party should not field a 70- year-old candidate or an “old Chinese man”.

"Why not field a woman who is beautiful, sweet, energetic, sexy and willing to give it her all like our Kak Azmar," he added during the Gerakan annual general assembly yesterday.

Baljit later clarified that his remarks were misinterpreted and he was referring to Azmar, who is a grandmother.

Meanwhile, Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong also defended Baljit, claiming that the latter’s remarks were twisted by the media.

The minister of plantation industries and commodities was quoted by the Malay Mail Online that Baljit’s remarks on women candidates were in reference to Azmar and not aimed at being chauvinistic towards women.

“He has apologised. I think he was having a joke with Kak Azmar. I think that Gerakan is a party that always sees women as the backbone of the party,” he said.