Yusoff insisted that there was no need to retract his statement despite calls from various quarters.

“It is up to the government whether to take it into account or not.

“Even if it is not considered, it is not an issue as the home minister (Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) has said it was my personal view,” he said in Kota Bharu today, Bernama reported.

His statement had drawn controversy, with many saying underage girls were not mature enough and should not be punished for the offence.

Under the Penal Code, sexual intercourse with a child under 16 is rape, regardless of consent.

Yusoff had suggested that girls involved in “consensual” underage sex be charged alongside their partners.

He said his proposal is to send a clear warning to teenagers against being involved in sexual crimes.

He said girls are usually protected as victims under the Penal Code provision for rape, and under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act.

Yusoff made the remarks when he was asked to comment on the increase in cases of rape and sexual crimes involving teenagers in Kelantan since last year.

He said his proposal was based on police investigations in Kelantan, which found that most statutory rape cases involved consensual acts between minors, raising questions of fairness when only one party is prosecuted in court.

He said he would withdraw the proposal if it had led to confusion or appeared insensitive, and expressed regret if any party had been upset by it.