PAS' Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff has taken issue with PKR's Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah's suggestion that she was encouraging "victim-blaming" with regard to women facing sexual harassment.

This was after Siti Zailah yesterday urged the government to formulate a policy to ensure the rights of working Muslim women to cover up in all sectors and to prevent discrimination against those who do.

"Maria's view that my demand to cover up was a case of 'blaming women' in sexual harassment cases misses the point.

"The obligation for Muslim women to cover up is a noble act in Islam and is not a case of blaming women as the cause of sexual harassment.

"The Petaling Jaya MP clearly has a pessimistic view of Islamic law," Siti Zailah said in a press statement today.

She said she hopes that the government will consider her proposal and not continue the policies of the previous government.

'I would also like to take this opportunity to call on all Muslim women MPs to state their position on this matter and defend the human rights of Muslim women in this country.

"If we can be open about not covering out, we must be equally open to the right to cover up, which is being requested by the majority of Muslim women in this country.

“Let us be fair to all people,” she said.

The issue was raised in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday when the issue of female flight attendant uniforms was raised.

In an immediate response, Maria said she was not against Muslim women covering up.

Maria said her statement was in response to Siti Zailah suggesting that the current female flight attendant uniform could lead to sexual harassment.

"My view is it should be up to the people whether to wear headscarves, but do not use it as a reason for sexual harassment," she told journalists at the Parliament lobby.