Najib's aide offers a month's salary cut after altercation with journalist

 

JOHOR POLLS | Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak's special officer Ahmad Lutfi Azhar has apologised and offered to have his salary for this month docked after an altercation with a journalist on Tuesday.

This came after the officer supposedly berated the journalist for refusing to delete photos she had taken, including by using the F-word and moving his face near her.

Lutfi (above) described the incident as a "misunderstanding" and claimed his approach was "firm but not abusive", but conceded it was wrong to demand media practitioners to delete pictures of him.

"I sincerely apologise for the misunderstanding and will seek the journalist out to apologise if I came across as seemingly offensive.

"I was firm but not abusive but regardless, I know I am in the wrong as I should not have asked the media to delete photos even though she was taking photos of me – and not Najib.

"It is very uncharacteristic of me to act this way, but perhaps it was the heat of the moment and the tiredness on the road, given the high-strung setting," he said.

He added that Najib was not aware of the incident, but when he informed the MP about it, Lutfi said Najib reprimanded him by saying: "This is not how we are and that we should always act in good taste and not come out too strong."

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred on March 8 while Najib was accompanying BN-MCA's Tangkak candidate Ong Chee Siang at the Tangkak Jaya Hawker Centre.

While Najib and Ong were dining, a team of Health Department officers came to serve Najib a fine for an offence allegedly committed on Feb 26.

Lutfi approached the officers, and the journalist started taking pictures.

"When the man (Lutfi) realised that someone was taking photographs, he approached the person who had clear media credentials displayed and asked her to delete the photographs.

"I heard the journalist refusing and asking for the person's identity. The man responded that he was Najib's aide and repeatedly said 'Najib boss saya' (Najib is my boss).

"There was some verbal altercation between them, and the man used the F-word on the woman. He even drew his face close to hers. He was very arrogant.

"The journalist asked the man to keep his distance. But the man repeatedly responded with the F-word. (The altercation) ended with the two of them making phone calls," the eyewitness told Malaysiakini. - Mkini