KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has slammed remarks by Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein belittling women made during a speech to Malaysian students in London on May 8.

Expressing his outrage, Lim described Hishamuddin as "irresponsible" for "blaming Malaysian women on Mother’s Day for the exaggeration of the endemic crime situation in the country."

"Hishammuddin should apologise for his insult to Malayhsian women on Mother’s Day blaming women’s 'chattering' for exaggerating the crime problem and demonizing the police," said Lim.

Online news site Malaysian Insider had reported Hishamuddin as saying that the public should defend the police force in the wake of condemnations over police brutality and trigger-happy incidents.

“I want to assure everybody, that the morale of the police also has to be safeguarded and balanced. Clear demonisation does not help anybody.

“Malaysia is in transition. In times of change, there is always a tendency to demonise these institutions without basis, without study, discussion and understanding," he told some some 100 students at the Malaysian Students’ Department in London.

Referring to claims of rising crimes in the country, Hishamuddin attributed it to exaggeration by Malaysian women.

“Most victims are women. What do women do? They go to the hairdressers ... they chit-chat and suddenly it is everywhere and cause people to fear”," he said.