Rafizi taken to task for ‘just a joke’ excuse

Pandan MP comes under fire for disparaging remarks against Rosmah Mansor, with MIC Wanita suggesting he become a comedian if he considered everything a joke.

PETALING JAYA: Politicians should not make disparaging remarks and then claim they are only joking because their words can damage a person’s reputation.

In commenting on PKR Vice-President Rafizi Ramli’s refusal to apologise for remarks he made about the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, because he was only joking, myPPP Assistant Secretary-General Simon Sabapathy said Rafizi should have known that his comments were likely to be published by the media.

He said the Pandan MP should be careful when making statements that questioned a person’s integrity and credibility.

“It’s not right to make disparaging remarks and then fall back on the excuse that it was just a joke. It reflects badly on him and his party,” he told FMT.

Sabapathy, a lawyer, said this went both ways, as in the past, even Barisan Nasional leaders had made silly remarks and claimed it was done in jest.

“This type of politics is gutter politics and no one should be practising it,”

He said all leaders, from both sides of the divide, must be mature in their conduct, and if they were not capable of making intelligent statements, then they should opt out of politics.

MIC Wanita Chief Mohana Muniandy said Rafizi was making a complete clown of himself with his latest antics.

She said Rafizi could claim he was joking, but he must know the damage he had caused with his remarks which were seditious in nature.

She said if Rafizi wanted to make an allegation, then he should provide proof.

“Don’t just blurt out allegations and then say it is a joke when you are faced with a lawsuit.
“If everything is a joke to Rafizi, he may as well become a comedian instead of a politician because everything he says can be regarded as a joke.”

It was recently reported that Rafizi, who faces a defamation suit for his remarks, has refused to apologise and said he was only joking.

Rafizi, during an anti-GST rally recently, questioned whether Prime Minister Najib Razak had misused funds from the Goods and Services Tax to pay for the purchase of textiles.