Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said he would sue Wan Asshima for reportedly accusing him in an August 17 video of allegedly approving the purported ‘gay fest’. ― Picture by Razak Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said today he will continue with his suit against a Muslim activist who accused him of approving a “gay festival”.

Khalid said Wan Asshima Kamaruddin, president of the Gerakan Muslimah Islam Malaysia (GMIM), did not apologise for allegedly slandering him and had only apologised for humiliating him.

“We can meet, we’ll just meet in court I don’t think she knows how to apologise, I don’t think it was much of an apology,” he told reporters here.

Yesterday, Wan Asshima insisted she had never meant to embarrass Khalid, and side stepped questions when made to clarify the allegations of his supposed involvement in approving the festival.

On Tuesday, Khalid said he would sue Wan Asshima for reportedly accusing him and another minister, Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa, in an August 17 video of allegedly approving the purported gay fest, pointing out that she did not substantiate her claims.

She had told reporters she personally contacted Mujahid through WhatsApp to convey her apology, and asked Khalid’s lawyer to arrange a meeting for her to personally apologise to him and find a solution.

The “evidence” of the alleged gay fest turned out to be a poster of a three-day dance event featuring 14 DJs from August 30 to September 1, which she showed to reporters.

“She did not come out with any statement to apologise for the slander, she apologised for instead for humiliating me.

“I don’t feel like i was humiliated from that statement, it is a baseless accusation; it is slander and the person committing the slander is the one humiliating themselves,” Khalis said today.

The Shah Alam MP then advised others on exercising their rights to free speech, saying those looking to voice out should be prepared and responsible for possible implications and repercussions stemming from it.

“When person wants to say something they have to be careful and be responsible for what they say, the right to free speech doesn’t mean there is no reaction or implications from what we say.

“If what is said is baseless and is just words meant to provoke and slander and such, then they have to be ready to face the reaction from the one they slandered against,” he said.