NAZRI Aziz has denied calling for the closure of vernacular schools during a campaign speech in Semenyih last week.

The Barisan Nasional secretary-general instead accused the media of misquoting him.

“I strongly deny that I had called for the closure of Chinese and Tamil schools. If I had wanted that, I would have worked for it when I was a minister in the previous government.

“In my speech, I said if the non-Bumiputera dispute Bumiputera special privileges, then what will happen is that the special privileges of the non-Bumiputera may be disputed as well. This includes (calls to) close vernacular schools.

“Listen to my speech. But what was quoted from the speech was ‘close vernacular schools’,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

He added that he was aware of video cameras recording his speech, and as a lawyer and former minister, he knew that his speech could not be seen to be racist or racial in nature, except to convey facts.

“I would not speak racial stuff when I know of cameras recording my speech,” he said.

In his 40 years of political career, he said, he had never called for the closure of any vernacular schools in this country.

He also said he was not bothered by criticisms levelled against him by MCA leaders over his speech in Semenyih.

“I know that when we campaign as BN, they will have to be with us. Whatever MCA leaders say or do, I don’t care.

“Who are they? I don’t know them and I don’t understand what they want,” he said.

Nazri was questioned by the police earlier today over his speech last Saturday in Beranang. – February 25, 2019.