TOURISM and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz’s crude language against Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok and MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan undermined the spirit of Barisan Nasional, said MCA Youth.

MCA Youth vice chairman Nicole Wong Siaw Ting said in a statement today that Nazri’s behaviour also reflected his “lack of upbringing”.

Wong said Nazri’s remarks against Ong were unsavoury.

Nazri had said Ong was “not a clever fellow making a stupid statement” in response to the MCA leader’s reminder that the Umno minister had no authority to revoke Kuok’s citizenship.

Ong had also warned that Nazri’s comments could sour race relations.

“We believe that people who have logic and rational thinking will be able to comprehend the true intention of Ong’s statement, but obviously the tourism and culture minister is different from ordinary folk, who are reasonable,” said Wong.

She said the minister also seemed to lean more towards the opposition as he had been spotted chatting happily with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng several times.

She said this is not the first time Nazri had publicly insulted a BN leader and member.

MCA members have hit out at the Umno minister for calling Kuok ‘pondan’ (effeminate) for allegedly funding DAP. 

MCA’s religious harmony bureau chairman Ti Lian Ker said Nazri’s attack on the Hong Kong-based tycoon was not in keeping with Malaysian culture.

Chinese-language dailies have also slammed Umno leaders’ attacks on Kuok, with two of them saying in editorials that such rhetoric was reckless and aimed at winning the Malay vote.

Sin Chew Daily and Kwong Wah Daily yesterday said the attacks would do more harm than good

In all, as many as six Chinese-language newspapers published commentaries refuting the statements against Kuok.

Nazri said he would not apologise to Kuok as his remarks were based on allegation in a Malaysia Today post by Raja Petra Kamarudin.

Raja Petra had accused Kuok for channelling funds to DAP. – February 28, 2018.