KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Datuk Seri Azmin Ali today denied that his “cry baby” tweet was targeted at Nurul Izzah Anwar after she lamented about the pace of reforms in the country in a recent interview with Singapore’s Straits Times.
The Economic Affairs Minister told reporters that the tweet which read, “This country needs doers who are prepared to tough it out all the way, not cry babies. Whatever it takes, we must make it work. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen,’ was actually directed at himself.
This country needs doers who are prepared to tough it out all the way, not cry babies. Whatever it takes, we must make it work. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Advertisement— Mohamed Azmin Ali (@AzminAli) March 24, 2019
“No...I was giving myself advice," Azmin, who is PKR deputy president, told reporters after visiting a temporary relief shelter for flood and storm victims in Gombak, Selangor.
When asked if he had any advice for Nurul Izzah, Azmin replied: “Who am I to advise her?"
Azmin refused to comment on the reaction of Nurul Izzah’s father, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to his tweet, pointing out that Anwar did not name him.
Anwar, who is PKR president, had said: “Some leaders seek to protect ideals and principles while there are those who want to protect their positions at all costs.”
Speculation arose that Azmin was hitting out at his PKR colleague with the tweet as it was posted after her interview with the Singaporean daily.
In her interview with Straits Times, Nurul Izzah, who is the MP for Permatang Pauh, said this would be her last term as a federal lawmaker.
She also described Dr Mahathir as a former dictator when speaking about how difficult it was to work with him again.
She said Mahathir had inflicted much damage on her family and the system in reference to his fallout with Anwar during his previous tenure as prime minister.
