Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has refused to accept Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister S Sothinathan's clarification that he had not challenged a female MP to a fist-fight in Parliament.

Lim told a press conference today that it was shameful of Sothinathan not to admit he was wrong in challenging Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah-DAP), and is instead "trying to deny the undeniable".

"Sothinathan said that no man in his right frame of mind would physically fight with a lady, and he is right this time," said Lim.

"This is why his right frame of mind came under question when he challenged Fong to a fist-fight and not to an electoral contest as he now claims."

On Tuesday, Lim (DAP-Ipoh Timor) had accused Sothinathan of challenging Fong to a "fight" on Monday, while winding-up points related to his ministry on the Supply Bill 2008.

Following this, Lim and his party MPs demanded an apology and described the incident as being "most disgraceful in setting a new Malaysian parliamentary record of a male MP challenging a female MP to a physical fight".

However, Sothinathan clarified yesterday that, in politics, the term 'fight' refers to elections and not to the exchange of blows.

He refused to apologise, claiming that he uttered the word after being provoked by the opposition who tried to politicise the matter being discussed.

'Apologise unconditionally'

Lim said eyewitness accounts of what happened in Parliament on Monday are more reliable and better testimony than Sothinathan of the MIC vice-president's "despicable behaviour".

"The body language of Sothinathan was so unmistakeable that the Chinese newspapers reported the next day that he had challenged me to a physical fight outside the chamber," he said.

"The Chinese newspapers were wrong as Sothinathan's challenge was directed at Fong. The mistake is understandable as there was a lot of confusion in the chamber at that time, with voices coming from all directions."

Lim urged Sothinathan to "stop being a lout, stop prevaricating and to unconditionally apologise for his boorish behaviour".

"If he continues to be obstinate, unapologetic and unrepentant, we will leave it to the people of Malaysia to decide as we will show the video clip of the boorish behaviour of the MIC vice-president which (can be accessed via) YouTube all over the country."

Lim said Sothinathan was just looking for an escape route to avoid addressing controversies and to evade accountability, and therefore should be condemned in no uncertain terms.

MIC president S Samy Vellu, speaking to reporters in the Parliament lobby, said he was satisfied with Sothinathan's explanation.

He said when the word "fight" is uttered in Parliament, it means 'come and contest in the parliament constituency'.

"Lim (Kit Siang) will always find something to pick on. There are so many other things people have said and done in the Dewan."