Sunday November 19, 2006
Rafidah plays down Aussie barbs
KUALA LUMPUR: An article in an Australian newspaper The Age ridiculing Malaysia and calling Malaysia “bodoh” (stupid) has left International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz unperturbed.
“What do we care? Obviously, this person doesn’t know Malaysia. He is an outsider and he can say what he likes. I don’t really care about what others say – as long as it is not a Malaysian saying it,” she said.
The Wanita Umno chief said the Australian writer had apparently not followed the Umno general assembly proceedings closely.
“If he did, he would have seen things differently.”
The Nov 15 article by Michael Backman said it was time Malaysia grew up and stopped arguing about what proportion of the economy the Chinese and Malays owned.
The Government was more interested in stunts like sending an astronaut into space when the country’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, the writer said, adding “that's not Malaysia Boleh, that’s Malaysia Bodoh.”
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