He also confirmed that his son, Dr Faisal Tajuddin, who is the Pasir Salak Umno Youth chief, was among those at the protest, along with the division’s Women’s wing.
“People like us, we are a family. Dignity is important to us,” Tajuddin told FMT, stating that it was only normal for a son to want to protect the father, and vice versa.
A ruckus erupted outside Parliament this morning when the Pasir Salak protesters confronted Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.
The group of about 30 people started to harass Khalid by shouting “Hidup Pasir Salak! Hidup Pasir Salak!” (Long live Pasir Salak!)
They were there to show their displeasure over what had transpired in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, when Khalid had called Tajuddin “menteri sial”.
Tajuddin, who is also deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister, however, maintained he was not aware they would be holding the protest, adding he did not organise one because he did not want people to think he required others to defend him.
“If I were to organise a protest, it would be bigger.”
Commenting on the confrontation, Tajuddin said the group was only protesting against Khalid for using the derogatory word “sial” on him.
“I am a symbol. I am representing them (people of Pasir Salak). If you say the Pasir Salak MP is ‘sial’, then Pasir Salak is ‘sial’, so of course they will feel offended.”
(Although “sial” usually means “unlucky”, Urban Dictionary states it is an offensive word.)
Tajuddin said it was the same as when Umno members felt offended when the people called Prime Minister Najib Razak all sorts of names.
The incident in the Dewan Rakyat stemmed from Tajuddin’s reference to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as “the only woman with a Kok”.
Tajuddin said it was not up to Khalid to decide to punish him for the remark.
“Even if I had been wrong, it was for the Speaker to make a ruling. He (Khalid) is trying to force the Speaker and everybody else to agree with him.”
Tajuddin was also critical of Khalid, claiming that even PAS had not wanted him and suggested that Khalid might not win in an election for Amanah office-bearers.
“He has said a lot of things. That is why PAS has also not accepted him,” Tajuddin alleged.