KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Naina Merican insisted today that he had not violated any protocol when Chinese ambassador Dr Huang Huikang was called up to explain his recent remarks at Petaling Street.

Reezal stressed that the decision to summon Huang was made by Wisma Putra after obtaining approval from Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, whom he said had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Therefore, it’s unfortunate and totally untrue to assume that I, as deputy minister, had made my own decision without following Wisma Putra’s procedures and protocol,” Reezal said in a statement.

“I regret that there are certain parties who made baseless accusations that complicated Wisma Putra’s efforts to handle this issue firmly and well,” he added.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz told news portal Malaysiakini yesterday that Reezal did not follow protocol in calling up Huang.

Nazri reportedly said a deputy minister does not represent the minister, who must be represented by another minister in his absence, noting that it is Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin who is the acting foreign minister.

Huang met Hamzah yesterday after the former reportedly said last Friday during a visit to Chinatown, ahead of a planned pro-Malay “riot” there that was later cancelled, that Beijing would not hesitate to speak out against any threat that may affect the country’s ties with Malaysia.

In a statement late last night, Anifah chided his Cabinet colleagues for interfering with his ministry’s duties in seeking an explanation from Huang over the ambassador’s reported comments on racism in Malaysia.

Local Chinese paper Sin Chew Daily reported that Hamzah had vetoed Reezal’s decision to call up Huang, a claim which Wisma Putra denied, with Huang subsequently meeting the acting foreign minister.