  The theory of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in solar coronal slabs in a
zero-$\beta$ configuration and for parallel propagation of waves does not allow
the existence of surface waves. When oblique propagation of perturbations is
considered both surface and body waves are able to propagate. When the
perpendicular wave number is larger than a certain value, the body kink mode
becomes a surface wave. In addition, a sausage surface mode is found below the
internal cut-off frequency. When non-uniformity in the equilibrium is included,
surface and body modes are damped due to resonant absorption. In this paper,
first, a normal-mode analysis is performed and the period, the damping rate,
and the spatial structure of eigenfunctions are obtained. Then, the
time-dependent problem is solved, and the conditions under which one or the
other type of mode is excited are investigated.
