Rais said Zahidi must explain the issue regarding Veveonah Mosibin, which went viral recently, considering the Cabinet had already taken a stand on the matter.

“After weighing the matter, we agree that he must present himself in the Dewan Negara. It is so that he can give his opinion, explain and, in the end, apologise to the affected party.

“If he refuses, maybe we can refer him to the Rights and Privileges Committee.

“I hope we can record this as an early decision,” he said in the Dewan Negara today.

Previously, Rais had said Zahidi had not been present in the Dewan Negara to answer questions from Adrian Banie Lasimbang, who had asked him to explain the latest reach of the 4G telecommunications network in Sabah.

Veveonah had been propelled into the limelight after posting a video on her YouTube channel three months ago about spending 24 hours up a tree in a jungle to get the best internet connection so she could sit for her exams online.

Last week, Zahidi accused Veveonah of being a YouTuber and faking her online exam to garner views for her video channel, although he later apologised to Veveonah and said he had received “inaccurate information” on the matter.

Alan Ling Sie Kiong raised a similar motion under Dewan Negara Regulations 25(1)(Q) for Zahidi to be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee for his misleading statement during question time on Monday.

“This is a serious matter and a slander to Veveonah,” he said. “His actions can be seen as undermining the authority of the upper house.

“He must be investigated thoroughly to prove that the executive practises accountability.”