De facto Deputy Law Minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin has apologised to BN's MP for Pengerang, Azalina Othman Said over the sexist remark hurled at her in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

"My derogatory remarks against my friend, YB Pengerang (Azalina), were unnecessary and uncalled for," he said in a statement to Malaysiakini.

"Truth be told, I made a huge mistake. I should have not said that even in jest. It was a forbidden territory which I should have never trespassed in the first place. I have no excuse at all, and I sincerely regret (making the remark)," he said.

In winding up the policy stage debate for Anti-Fake News (Repeal) Bill 2019 yesterday, Hanipa was reacting to Azalina's comment and made a provocative response questioning Azalina's gender.

"Like Pengerang lah, sometimes she looks like a woman, sometimes she looks like a man," he said in Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

This was in response to Azalina who had said: "I am wearing my spectacles. I want to see the deputy minister clearly as (he) sometimes looks small and sometimes looks big."

Hanipa had retracted his remark immediately after being instructed by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon.