Khalid laughs off suit by Tajuddin

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad has laughed off a lawsuit filed against him by Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

Among the points which he found "amusing" in the defamation suit, were the claims that his remarks implied the Umno deputy minister was a person who, among others, is not a good Muslim, condemned to hell, morally decrepit and unfit to be an MP and deputy minister.

Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam today, Khalid said he had not implied that Tajuddin was a bad Muslim.

The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) communications director said he had used a particular term against the deputy minister because of the language which the latter used.

“(The language used) was disrespectful to women,” he added.

According to Tajuddin's suit which was sighted by Malaysiakini, the points which Khalid found amusing were not in relation to to the offending term uttered by the opposition lawmaker, but other remarks which implied Tajuddin's behaviour was unbecoming as a Malay Muslim.

The Umno supreme council member is also suing KiniTV and New Straits Times in relation to this matter.

This was over a series of press conferences that started when Tajuddin referred to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in Parliament as the only woman with a "Kok" and Khalid responded with a term the Umno minister found to be offensive on Nov 21 last year.

The incident had led to an attack on Khalid by a group from Pasir Salak on Parliament grounds, which included Tajuddin's son Faisal Tajuddin.

Khalid was bemused that Tajuddin, whom he believed to be in the wrong, would be suing others.

He also said the only person shaming Tajuddin was himself.

"We will see you in court.

"I am confident that the courts will find me innocent," the Shah Alam MP said.- Mkini