KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — International Medical University (IMU) student Kiren Raj apologised today and retracted his sexist comments made online after over 70,000 people petitioned for his expulsion.
The Star Online reported that the 26-year-old medical student apologised to family members of the late local actress and singer Emily Kong, whose death he had made those comments on, members of the public, and IMU.
“I would also like to formally retract my comments. I am deeply remorseful that my comments offended many netizens. I would never do anything like this again,” Kiren was quoted saying at a press conference at Wisma MCA here.
“I never meant the comments to be derogatory to women. Women have contributed a lot to society. Sometimes we say things that are not appropriate and we should be responsible and apologise. We should learn to re-evaluate ourselves and better ourselves.”
He reportedly said his comments on Facebook were not about Kong personally.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong reportedly said Kiren was remorseful, whose friends and course mates had advised him to make a public apology.
Several lawyers reportedly attended Kiren’s press conference.
Kiren, in a Facebook comment on a news report about Kong’s death on March 9, said the incident showed that women should not leave a pub without a man and that women should have sex with men who give them a lift home.
IMU announced last week that it put Kiren, who is reportedly in his final year at the private university, on home leave pending an internal investigation into his controversial remarks.
The medical university also said Kiren was given a medical evaluation and behavioural counselling.
