Seputeh MP Teresa Kok called on the government today to punish Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman for threatening to "slap" ( lempang ) the Chinese community if they take their grouses overseas.

Kok said the threat, followed by a denial from Tajuddin claiming that a veteran politician like him would not use such a word - despite the availability of audio evidence - was a "double shocker".

"Tajuddin’s remarks have hurt the sensitivity and feelings of the Chinese community. An apology or retraction will not be sufficient.

"Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must take stern action against him.

"Najib must suspend or expel Tajuddin ( photo ) as deputy minister so as to send a clear signal to all Malaysians that he and the cabinet will not tolerate such racial, obnoxious, and offensive remarks, which are also clearly against his 1Malaysia concept," Kok said.

The DAP lawmaker said this was not the first time Tajuddin had resorted to "obnoxious remarks or displayed unacceptable conduct", for he has hurled profanities at Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran in Parliament in 2008.

"He got away for such contempt of Parliament by merely withdrawing the unparliamentary terms when he should have been severely punished.

As such, Kok said, it is time for stern action to be taken against Tajuddin.

Kok also criticised Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng and MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson Ti Lian Ker for justifying the racially-charged red shirt protest by saying that it was a reaction to DAP's hijack of the Bersih 4 protest.

"Let me just tell them not to insult the intelligence of the hundreds of thousands of courageous Malaysians of all races who had taken part in the rally to save Malaysia.

"Let’s see if both Gerakan and MCA will again show their stupidity by saying that DAP was the cause for Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s offensive remarks against the Chinese," she said.

Meanwhile, electoral reform group Bersih also slammed Tajuddin for his remarks, demanding that he apologise.

"These slap threats as well as attempts to silence the rakyat's opposition towards the arrogance of some leaders will not be forgotten in the general election.

"The rakyat has absolute right to choose their leaders through the ballot box therefore politicians should not assume their position is a gift from the heavens," it said in a statement.