Image above: Umno’s Datuk Tajuddin on 'slap' remark
Umno’s Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman sought to play off his “slap” remark
aimed at ethnic Chinese as just a joke, after an audio recording was uploaded
onto the Internet, Sin Chew Daily reported this evening.
The deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister insisted he had
not done anything wrong as the comment was made after his news conference
yesterday; and even challenged news portal Malaysiakini — which had
uploaded the audio clip — to produce a video recording of him saying it
instead.
“Do they have the video? Was I still sitting or standing at that time?
Or I was about to leave after saying that?
“It was only a joke and not part of the press conference,” he was quoted
as saying by the Chinese-language daily in a report posted on its website in
English.
Tajuddin, who received immediate criticism, had initially accused Malaysiakini
of misquoting him in its article, which had translated the Bahasa Malaysia
portion of his remarks to mean that he was threatening to slap the Chinese.
The Pasir Salak MP also told Sin Chew Daily that he did not fear
any disciplinary action from his party over the incident as he had not issued
any inappropriate statement in an official capacity.
However, Tajuddin’s off-the-cuff remark appears to have riled up even
his political allies in Barisan Nasional (BN), with both MCA and Gerakan saying
they will issue a formal protest note and ask the coalition leadership to
punish the Perak lawmaker.
“MCA will lodge a formal protest via the BN channel and request that the
coalition stops and takes action against such a person who has brought
destruction towards national unity.
“We want Tajuddin to apologise to the people of Malaysia for his
damaging remark,” MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan in a statement.
Ong ticked off Tajuddin, telling his Umno ally to first check his facts
before issuing such reckless comments on Chinese Malaysians.
Tajuddin’s remark was ostensibly in response to a comment by Chinese
ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang in Petaling Street last week that Beijing
would not hesitate to speak out against any threat that may affect the
country’s ties with Malaysia, in commenting on the communal tension here.
It seems that the BN leaders can change their stance overnight. Ku Nan defended Tajudin saying that he was misquoted by the media. Now, what do they have to say since there’s proof of what Tajuddin said. Oh…it was only a joke.
So, since it is a joke, so stop talking about this and don’t sensationalize it. These low grade leaders are truly a waste of tax payer’s money.
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