Tajuddin - a roller-coaster career that's now a train wreck - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s sacking as Prasarana chairman last night caught many by surprise due to the government’s razor-thin majority in Parliament – but it’s just another milestone in the chequered career of this maverick politician.

His bizarre press conference on the country’s worst Light Rail Transit (LRT) accident was no surprise to many who know of his style, because this is not the first time the Pasir Salak MP’s mouth has gotten him into trouble.

If there is one thing that seems to follow the veteran Umno leader’s career, it is controversy.

Early days

He first rose to prominence as one of the Umno Youth leaders who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) under Ops Lalang in 1987. Later he would work his way up the Umno ladder, becoming a Supreme Council member.

Sacking from Umno

In 1995, Tajuddin was sacked by Umno for alleged money politics. He was accused of paying RM6 million to secure the Pasir Salak division chief’s post. He remained out in the cold for three years until Umno brought him back into the fold in 1998. Two years later, he was elected as Pasir Salak Umno deputy division chief.

Elected representative

In the 2004 general election, Tajuddin won the Kampong Gajah state seat with a majority of over 5,000 votes. In the next general election, he won the Pasir Salak parliamentary seat. He has since defended the seat twice, each time with a bigger majority, a testament to his popularity in the constituency.

Government appointments

After the 2008 election, Tajuddin was appointed chairman of Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) Bhd, a post he would hold for five years until his appointment as deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister in 2013.

‘Bastard’

In November 2008, Tajuddin was condemned for calling Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran a “bastard” after the DAP man claimed Pasir Salak voters did not like their elected representative. He also challenged Kulasegaran to a fight outside the Dewan.

Heckling opposition MPs

In April 2010, then Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia warned Tajuddin against heckling opposition MPs after an argument between Tajuddin and Kulasegaran in the Parliament lobby. However, Tajuddin denied knowledge of the censure.

Slap the Chinese

Then a deputy minister, Tajuddin came under fire from friend and foe in October 2015 after he said he would “slap” Chinese Malaysians who took their grouses out of the country. He even rejected MCA Youth’s demand for him to apologise.

“They can make noise until doomsday, I don’t care,” Tajuddin was quoted as saying then.

The ‘kok’ controversy

Tajuddin was again condemned by opposition MPs on Nov 16, 2016 for referring to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as “the only woman with a ‘kok’ in Parliament”.

The incident happened when Tajuddin was answering a supplementary question in the Dewan Rakyat and began sharing his views on a public rally only for then deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee to interject and ask him to continue answering the question.

He then continued and laughingly asked “Seputeh (laughed) why? The only woman with ‘kok’ is in the Seputeh parliamentary.”

This led to heated arguments with opposition MPs in which he exchanged unparliamentary language with them. He also lashed out at the media later when pressed over the matter.

Defending assault of an MP

Later that month a group of men, including Tajuddin’s son went to Parliament grounds to show their support for him following a spat with Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

As Khalid was passing, the men attacked the MP. Tajuddin, who denied any knowledge of the incident, appeared to defend the attack saying it was normal for a son to protect his father.

Booted out of Parliament

In July 2019, Tajuddin was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat for refusing to follow instructions and creating a disturbance. Tajuddin refused to apologise and then deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming suspended him for four days.

Back in a GLC

Following the change of government last year, Tajuddin was appointed Prasarana chairman in May 2020. He ran straight into a controversy over the termination of contracts of two companies. The termination, it was claimed, would have resulted in a hefty compensation payout to a company controlled by his family members.

However, his press conference after Monday’s LRT collision could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

He was accused of being insensitive and rude during the press conference, with many describing it as a public relations disaster.

It led to calls for him to be sacked and a petition got over 100,000 signatures in less than a day.

Misunderstood

In an interview with FMT earlier this year, Tajuddin was asked about the controversies and criticisms levelled at him over the years, but he said people would change their minds about him when they got to know him.

“I am aware of what they are saying about me. There are people who think (of me) that way. Maybe they don’t understand between being a gangster and being vocal at an appropriate place and time.”

Whether the public has seen the last of Tajuddin’s controversial antics remains to be seen. What is certain is that for now, his roller-coaster career is now a train wreck.