Under fire, Nazri defends allegedly ‘racist’ remark on Malay rights

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz defended today a remark he made while campaigning in Semenyih, after it was slammed for being “racist”.

Mohamed Nazri courted criticism after he said that non-Malays should not question Malay privileges as the former also enjoys special privileges such as vernacular schools, during a speech in Beranang, Semenyih last Saturday.

In denying the remark was ‘racist’, Mohamed Nazri clarified that he was merely pushing for rights of all communities in Malaysia to be protected.

“In my speech I mentioned that all ethnic groups in Malaysia have their respective special rights.

“For Bumiputeras, they have their special rights and for non-Bumiputeras they have their special right to citizenship that no one has the right to challenge.

“What I actually meant is that if the non-Malays dispute the Malay rights, there will be an opposite reaction which is why we need to respect one another. That is my statement,” he told reporters at Menara Dato Onn, PWTC here.

Mohamed Nazri explained that one of the promises made by the country’s non-Bumiputera forefathers was to safeguard their culture, customs, language and religion.

“All of these are protected as they are non-Bumi rights and one way to do so is through education which is why vernacular schools are protected by the Constitution.

“Therefore they (vernacular schools) cannot be disputed including pushing for their closure. It cannot at all be entertained,” he said.

He said if he wanted to push for vernacular school closures, he would have done so during his time in the federal government and claimed it was possibly an act of desperation by some to incite anger among the voters to not vote for Barisan Nasional.

The Padang Rengas MP also said he was questioned by police this morning over the alleged “racist” remark for sedition after a police report was lodged against him.

“They called me up and I have given my statement to them,” he said.

During his speech, he had also questioned the appointment of non-Muslims as the attorney general (AG), chief justice and finance minister.

“I am stating the facts on the ground... the fear of the Malays because if AG is not Bumi or Malay then there is fear of bias.

“If I say something which is happening on the ground, it is not seditious,” he said.

As a former Cabinet minister and a lawyer, he said he is conscious of what is being spoken during a speech and what is construed as racist in nature.

“Throughout my years in politics, I have never once asked for the closure of vernacular schools and I can prove it with existing track records,” he said.