TOURISM Minister Mohammadin Ketapi today denied hurling direct insults at photographers but admitted to telling one of them where to go.

“I never said ‘idiot’ and ‘rubbish’,” he said about an earlier exchange of words with members of the media during a press conference.

Mohammadin said he would admit if he had done such a thing, calling on the media not to misinterpret the situation.

“I’m so simple. If I did, I will admit it. If not, no.

“Calling and telling people idiot, that is not me,” Mohammadin said.

Hours earlier, there was a heated exchange between Mohammadin and members of the media during a press conference conducted by Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal, which was quickly defused by International Trade Minister Darrell Leiking.

Mohammadin, MP for Lahad Datu, admitted telling one of the photographers to “get lost” after he said that he was chased for a photo.

“He kept snapping photos. I wanted to go to toilet and he kept snapping. So, I told him to stop it and he better get lost,” Mohammadin said.

The alleged “rubbish” incident happened when Mohammadin was returning to Parliament after the lunch break.

He became upset when six photographers there began snapping photos of him.

According to one of the photographers, Mogan Raj, the minister then started scolding them.

“Mohammadin said ‘Why are you taking my picture? You’d better get lost’,” said Mogan.

“I was scared when he suddenly scolded us.

“I said we were just taking photos for our stockpile, but he didn’t want to hear anymore and left.”

Mogan said Mohammadin called another photographer named Abu “rubbish”. – November 28, 2019.