K KANGSAR POLLS Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today admonished PKR lawmaker Rafizi Ramli for saying that an “atom bomb” be hurled at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and later clarifying it as a joke.

Responding to this, Hishammuddin said Rafizi should tell this to the police as he had already made the remarks.

“Looking at what that had occurred in Orlando, (United States) and the south of the Philippines – there’s a limit in making jokes,” Hishammuddin said at a press conference in Kuala Kangsar today.

A lone gunman shot at patrons of a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, claiming the lives of 50 people and leaving 53 others wounded.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said Rafizi had always excused his remarks as a joke or that the media had misquoted him.

“Issues that stir people’s anger he will say that it’s a joke or that the press had misquoted him, that's his way (of doing things)."

In the end, said the minister, the people would be able to judge Rafizi’s ‘consistency’ and his way of doing things in politics.

“For the young, they should ensure that they would not follow such politics when they become leaders one day.

“If this is the kind of politics that is practised, the country will be destroyed. You want to talk about mature democracy – this is not the way," he added.

Local residents had filed police reports against Rafizi over his remarks made during a ceramah here last Thursday.

Perak police chief Abd Rahim Hanafi today confirmed that police were probing Rafizi for criminal intimidation and an investigation paper was opened under Section 506 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, on Rafizi who announced that a replica of a jet will be launched at a ceramah tomorrow to highlight his exposé on Rosmah Mansor's use of a private jet, Hishammuddin said this was an example of divisive poltiics.

“They can create any kind of replica but in the end the ones who decide whether a candidate wins or lose are the people of Kuala Kangsar."

The Umno vice-president expressed confidence that the voters could judge for themselves the issues that have been raised and which issues that would touch upon their future.

“They can judge which candidate is sincere in helping them. Other issues can be used as campaign material but I want to remind voters – those issues will not determine their future in Kuala Kangsar."

Hishammuddin, however, did not deny that national issues were indeed important.

“They are important, but what we are trying to determine is the future of Kuala Kangsar,” he said.

The by-election would witness a four-cornered fight among Parti Amanah Negara's (Amanah) Ahmad Termizi Ramli, BN’s Mastura Mohd Yazid, PAS’ Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad and Independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.