Shabudin mulls taking legal action over 'misleading' press reports

Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya will consider taking legal action against the press and journalists who allegedly manipulated his statement on marriage between rapists and their victims.

"We all understand, and we can see if we look at the Hansard or the video recording of my debate with what was published by the press, it certainly seems 'misleading'.

"Anyway, I will look into this (lawsuit) because this issue has been distorted, giving rise to an alarming debate about myself, and more so it gave an unhealthy picture of our society," he said during a press conference after the ceremony to commemorate the Penang state level 2017 Mesra Rakyat project here, today.

During his debate on the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Shabudin was reported saying, among other things, that marriage between an underage rape victim and her rapist could cure social problems.

These were misinterpreted by several media outlets and went viral, attracting criticism from various quarters.

Shabudin said that in addition to the criticism, he had also received threats which he described as barbaric and irrational.

The former Syariah Court judge reiterated his argument did not touch on 'forced rape', and referred only to cases of rape which were classified by law as statutory rape of mutual consent, which occurs widely in the society.

Earlier, Shabudin handed over a home under the Mesra Rakyat project, as part of a corporate social responsibility programme by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), to single mother D. Shamburunam, 51, who is disabled, and her 13-year-old daughter.

Shamburunam, who is also blind, expressed her gratitude to TNB and other parties involved for restoring her home at a cost of RM30,000, with two rooms, a living room, a toilet and a kitchen.

-- BERNAMA