KUALA LUMPUR: Has deputy minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, been sacked or suspended yet, asked DAP’s Teresa Kok in a statement today.
The MP for Seputeh was responding to reports that MCA President Liow Tiong Lai said his party intended to lodge an official complaint against Tajuddin with Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Razak.
“Why has MCA chosen to lodge a complaint with the Barisan Nasional chairman?” she asked, suggesting instead that sterner action be taken against Tajuddin.
“Is it because Liow and his ministers dare not bring up the issue and make their demand in the Cabinet?”
She also remarked how Tajuddin had shown absolutely no regret over his remarks and said that because of that, those higher up in authority should intervene.
“Till today, Tajuddin has not shown any remorse over his remarks. It is time that the only person who can and should discipline him must speak up and take action, and the person is Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib.”
Tajuddin has come under heavy fire in the media for saying that the Chinese in the country ought to be “slapped” for complaining to foreign powers about their dissatisfaction here, a statement which he vehemently denied uttering later.
Teresa, commenting on Tajuddin’s behaviour, said that a deputy minister in a “democratic nation like England, Australia or Japan” would have been immediately pressured by public opinion to withdraw his remarks and apologise, or even forced to resign under threat of expulsion by his prime minister.
She also questioned Liow’s intention of lodging a complaint, viewing it more as a tactic to delay concrete action from being taken against Tajuddin, and urged the prime minister instead to act swiftly.
“Recently, he (Najib) acted so quickly and decisively against former deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin,” said Kok, alluding to the DPM’s sacking for criticising the PM over his handling of troubled 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
“Is the complaint with the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council a delay tactic to allow the issue to die down over time?
“Tajuddin’s remarks have hurt the sensitivity and feelings of the Chinese community. An apology or retraction will not be sufficient,” she said, adding that MCA and Gerakan ministers should be bold enough to demand in a Cabinet meeting that the PM take stern action against Tajuddin.