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Rapid Rail and Prasarana sued by 2021 crash commuters, PR blunder brought up in suit

Rapid Rail and Prasarana sued by 2021 crash commuters, PR blunder brought up in suit

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Rapid Rail and Prasarana Malaysia are being sued by eight commuters over the Kelana Jaya LRT crash in May 2020.

The eight commuters are claiming that they have suffered physical injuries and other damages from the incident, according to media reports. According to the Star, the eight commuters have filed the lawsuit through Messrs Vin Partnership and the plaintiffs claimed that the accident happened as a result of negligence and that they were physically and mentally healthy before the accident.

The filing also reportedly noted the trivialising comments made by Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman where at a press conference he said the trains “kissed each other”. Bernama sad that the plaintiffs are seeking more than RM860,000 in special, general and exemplary damages.

Tajuddin’s PR blunder began when he only showed up at the site of the crash and held a press conference from there. Instead of adopting a sombre tone, Tajuddin cracked jokes and when asked why he was not at the crash site soon after the incident occurred, Tajuddin explained that he had just finished his duties at the company and was only notified later of what occurred.

Don’t miss: Should Prasarana's PR team have blocked Tajuddin from fronting the press conference?

At the same time, he was also preparing for his second vaccination and had intended to visit the crash site “first thing in the morning”. Tajuddin was also seen laughing during the press conference, according to the video published by TV3.

He also warned journalists not to “provoke” him when questions were asked about the calls for his resignation.

Meanwhile, media reports also said Tajuddin made a racist remark to a reporter from the Chinese media outlet Phoenix TV when she posed him a question. Moreover, he was also being investigated for not wearing a face mask during the press conference.

Shortly after, president of the Malaysian Public Transport Users Association Ajit Johl criticised Tajuddin for his behaviour at the press conference, calling it “rude and disgusting”. Quoting Johl, the New Straits Times said Tajuddin’s reasoning shows “clear disregard for passenger care” and that it is “unbecoming” of a chairman of a company that is involved in transporting human lives on a daily basis.

Related articles:
Prasarana Malaysia appoints AVP for group comms and marketing
Malaysia's Finance Ministry fires Tajuddin as Prasarana chairman following PR gaffe
Prasarana promotes Juliana Abu Bakar to lead big data unit

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