Mohd Apandi Mohamad reportedly told the Dewan Negara yesterday that almost every South Korean film or drama incorporated elements of suicide, while Malaysian teens were too influenced by these shows.

“Many of these teens who take their own lives, whether you agree or not, most of them are too influenced by films and dramas from Korea.

“When there’s a failure, there’s suicide. Failure, then suicide. Is it because they are too influenced by Korean dramas?” he asked.

Responding to Apandi’s remarks, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii questioned what Korean dramas he was watching, adding that he was not addressing the core issue of suicides.

“This is oversimplifying and downplaying the issue without addressing the root problem and providing the necessary support,” Yii said in a Twitter post.

Apandi also drew strong criticism from netizens, with some describing him as “a joke” and slamming him for his remarks.

Twitter user @ShahkeerahK said there were many other factors that could drive teenagers to suicide, criticisng the PAS man for failing to highlight these issues.

“Peer pressure, academic pressure, family/parents’ issues are among the leading problems of teenage suicide, but you’re not even highlighting these.

“And there are K-dramas that emphasise the importance of mental health, such as the drama ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’,” she added.

@itsclrkhns tweeted: “How to tell you live in a cave without actually telling you live in cave.”

Another netizen, @ronckk, took a sarcastic jibe at the senator, saying he was so influenced by the local superhero movie Cicakman back in 2006 that he “became a lizard after watching” the film.