KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Unperturbed by Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s defamation suit against him, unity minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said today that he must have done “something right” to have ruffled the feathers of the controversial Malay rights leader.

In a statement here, Kurup said he is prepared to face his foe in court to “defend Malaysia’s unity”.

“I must have done something right for Ibrahim Ali to sue me. I will do whatever is necessary to defend Malaysia’s unity and prepared to face Ibrahim Ali or anybody else in our courts.

“Truth and justice will always prevail,” the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department declared.

Explaining further, Kurup pointed out that as the minister in charge of national unity, he had taken the stand not to tolerate racial and religious bigotry.

As such, he said it is his responsibility and mission to stop extremist behaviour.

Kurup labelled peace and stability as part of Malaysia’s “national treasure” and said the government’s failure to preserve unity would result not just in the destruction of the country’s social fabric, but its economy and development.

“It is vital that we continue to consolidate our national unity, in order to make certain the continuity of Malaysia’s development and to enable our vision to attain high income nation status by 2020 is achievable,” he said.

Earlier today, Ibrahim filed a suit against Kurup in court, accusing the federal minister of defamation when he accused him and his Malay rights group Perkasa of fanning racial tension.

In his suit, Ibrahim claimed that his reputation has been tarnished by Kurup’s description of Perkasa as “bigots” and “extremists” in the latter’s statement last year.

Ibrahim’s blatant calls to burn Malay-language Bibles ostensibly for containing the word “Allah” in 2013 escaped prosecution after the Attorney-General’s Chambers decided the self-professed Malay rights proponent “had no intention to create religious disharmony”.