Bring it on, Loke tells Vigneswaran on lawsuit threat

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has welcomed Dewan Negara president SA Vigneswaran's threat of legal action for pointing out that the latter had allegedly violated KLIA's security protocols and dress etiquette.

"First of all, it is his right if he wants to take legal action.

"I just say bring it on," Loke told reporters at Parliament lobby today.

"If for standing up for my airport staff I have to face legal action, I have no regrets about that," he stressed.

Loke, however, insisted that Vigneswaran must sue him in his capacity as a minister instead of as a private individual.

"I carried out my duty as a minister, there is no such thing as doing it as an individual," he explained.

Earlier today, Vigneswaran said he will file a civil suit against Loke for making public KLIA officers' attempt to stop him from entering the airport's VIP lounge due to not adhering to the stipulated dress code.

He claimed that Loke's actions went beyond his capacity as a minister, and were carried out intentionally to humiliate him as the president of the upper house.

'It's not about slippers or sandals'

Meanwhile, Loke also shot down a challenge from Federal Territory MIC chief S Rajah to take action against former Council of Eminent Persons Daim Zainuddin for wearing slippers in KLIA's VIP lane.

"I read the news and I am very puzzled. This shows that the intelligence of MIC is really low.

"I mean they have a problem even understanding the issue," he said, stressing that the issue had nothing to do with footwear but a security breach.

"We are talking about someone (Vigneswaran) who entered the restricted area without authorisation. The issue is not about slippers or sandals.

"If they cannot even understand this simple issue, it's no wonder MIC was rejected by the Indian community," he added.

On Saturday, Loke produced CCTV footage dated Nov 14 which showed Vigneswaran arriving at the airport’s VIP lounge wearing slippers before he was stopped by a KLIA officer.

The minister subsequently demanded an apology from Vigneswaran, whom he accused of reprimanding the KLIA officer who attempted to explain the dress code.

At the time, Vigneswaran claimed that the officer had he had slippers on because of a foot injury. - Mkini