RAIS Yatim has hit back against Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz for saying that he is still bitter about being dropped from his government post.

Rais had reminded Nazri that he too would not remain in his cabinet post forever.

He said that Nazri’s attack stemmed from the latter being “too fond” of billionaire Low Taek Jho, despite Low’s involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

“The whole world has been criticising Malaysia because of Low’s actions, but why is Nazri still defending him?” he said.

Rais was referring to Nazri’s statement that the controversial Malaysian financier had not committed any offence, defending Putrajaya’s decision to close investigations on him in relation to state investor 1MDB.

The Umno veteran, who was also an adviser to Putrajaya, chided Nazri for saying he was not a minister.

In July 2013, Rais was appointed as a advisor to the government on social and cultural affairs, with a minister’s post.

Yesterday, Nazri had said that former ministers Rafidah Aziz and Rais were still bitter about being dropped from their government posts.

“It is not easy to have been dropped. If you have been minister for more than 10 years, you will hold a grudge.

“Obviously, they still hold a grudge, so let them say what they want to say,” he said.

Rais had also chided Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak, who had said that there was “no proof” to connect Low to Equanimity, the billion-ringgit yacht seized by Indonesian authorities in Bali.

Early this month, Rafidah said in a Facebook post that she had found the exact location of Low’s super yacht while on a diving trip in Phuket last year.

She had asked how the Malaysian authorities failed to find the yacht when mere divers like her could find it.

Low is said to be at the centre of the money flow, with an estimated RM39 billion of 1MDB money allegedly lost through theft and mismanagement.

The United States Department of Justice had earlier filed civil forfeiture suits to seize more than US$1 billion (RM3.9 billion) of assets purchased there and has since applied to suspend those suits so as to launch a criminal investigation. – March 15, 2018.