PETALING JAYA: Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali said he was honoured to be likened to US Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
"This is an unexpected recognition and I welcome this with an open heart. This also means that I am of the same standard with the US presidential candidate," he said.
Earlier on Friday, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed reportedly described Trump as the equivalent of Malaysia's Ibrahim.
Speaking at the launching of new youth fellowship programme by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Nur Jazlan said he was surprised that Trump was leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
“It is surprising that they would prefer someone who is racist and stupid as their presidential candidate,” Nur Jazlan was quoted as saying.
Instead of feeling vexed being compared to Trump, Ibrahim said he actually admired the business mogul-cum-politician.
This is because both Trump and him shared the same traits and attitude of being "outspoken and forthright".
"Donald Trump isn't a hypocrite. Donald Trump is direct to the point, straightforward and frank, just like Ibrahim Ali.
"Therefore, I would like to thank Nur Jazlan, who is clearly smart and wise, for making such a statement," said the former Pasir Mas MP.
Ibrahim leads Perkasa, a Malay right-wing group that claims to fight for race and religion. He has also been accused of being racist for his vocal views.
Meanwhile, Trump has also been accused of playing up racial issues targetting Muslims and migrants to gain popularity during his campaign.
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