Although the mob who spat on Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad supposedly was supposedly acting in defence of the royal institution, Khalid said they had merely succeeded in tainting it with their uncouth behaviour.

“For the Malays, the Malay sultanate is a symbol of civility and civilisation in the Malay Archipelago. This institution has become a catalyst to the spread of Islam, and with that - justice, manners, and good character and behaviour.

“It is not an institution of pirates or gangsters as some sections of society claim,” he told a press conference today.

Yesterday, Khalid ( right ) was charged under the Sedition Act for allegedly suggesting that the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) be stripped of its executive powers.

The Selangor sultan oversees Mais in his capacity as the protector of Islam in the state, and had censured Khalid over the statement.

Spit and insults

While leaving court after posting bail, a group of about 10 people approached and insulted Khalid, and also spat on the lawmaker and his car.

 

With him at the time was his wife and Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad.

 

Ironically, Khalid said Raja Bahrin - who is a member of the Terengganu and Perak royal families and had stopped Khalid from punching his assailants - was hit by some of the spit too.

 

“Raja Bahrin  himself was very upset with what happened that day.

 

“‘How are they supposed to defend this institution with such uncouth and uncivilised behaviour?’ he asked me by phone after the incident,” Khalid related.

 

He also highlighted that Raja Bahrin ( left ) had come to court to support him despite being a member of royalty, because he believed that Khalid was wrongly accused.

 

The Shah Alam MP added if what he said was indeed seditious, he would face up to three years imprisonment upon conviction, so there was no need for the mob to take matters into their own hands.

 

Khalid said he has already lodged a police report regarding the incident, and challenged his assailants to surrender themselves and save the police the trouble of finding them.

 

“I hope that if this gang of ‘Spit Warriors’ are truly convinced that what they did was something to be proud of, no need for the police to waste time and money to find them.

"Just surrender and let the police do the investigation,” he advised.