It was inappropriate for Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan to reveal that deceased teenager M Vasanthapiriya had an alleged history of self-harm, said MIC president Dr S Subramaniam.

"It was not within his capacity to give the comment. It was something which is within the capacity of the police or the Education Ministry," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

"I think we must be fair to the family and to the girl. I don't think we should come to anything which is prejudicial to harm either her name or her family's name," he said.

Kamalanathan, who is MIC's Hulu Selangor MP, had come under fire over his comments which were reported in the Sun Daily newspaper.

Subramaniam (photo), who is also health minister, said when he asked Kamalanathan about the news report, the latter said he had merely responded to questions from the reporter.

"I asked him. He said he did not say it. It was the reporter who suggested it and he replied," he added.

The Sun Daily cited a counsellor's report, which reportedly advised Vasanthapiriya's family to seek medical help after the teenager allegedly slit her wrist in 2016.

The news report stated that when quizzed on this, Kamalanathan replied: "Yes, in 2016, she cut her wrist."

The deputy minister was also quoted as stating that the student's family did not proceed with the counselor's suggestion.

Vasanthapiriya's father R Muniandy has denied this claim.

The Form Two student from Nibong Tebal, Penang, had attempted suicide by hanging after she was accused of stealing a teacher's mobile phone on Jan 24.

She died a week later in hospital.

Subramaniam also reminded his colleagues to be extra careful when speaking with journalists.

"Sometimes, as politicians, we have to be careful in how we respond to reporters.

"If we don't, then we will fall into the pit which you (reporters) have dug. Once we fall into that pit, it is difficult to get out of it."

"That comes with the experience of maturity. I hope all politicians will evolve," he said.

To a question, if Kamalanathan should apologise over his remark, Subramaniam said, "Well, I will find out what exactly he said and what he thinks happened. We will manage it."

The minister also dismissed a foreign media report that 1,548 Malaysian doctors working in the UK as not alarming.

He suspected these were older doctors whom UK public hospitals could directly recruit as opposed to new medical graduates who would have to sit for another examination before they could practice there.

A UK-based daily reported that Malaysians were the fifth highest number of foreigners to work as doctors in the UK’s public health service though it is unknown who these Malaysians were and whether they were UK graduates.

Subramaniam also noted a rising trend of Malaysian medical graduates coming back to serve the country from overseas.

He said it was important for the government to build a working relationship with the Malaysian doctors and specialists who worked overseas but wanted to contribute to their homeland.