KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz should show he is a “real man” and apologise to tycoon Robert Kuok, said MCA Youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon.
“You know you made a mistake, an apology is a very simple thing to do. That only shows you are a real man, a man who can take it,” Chong said at a press conference at Wisma MCA on Wednesday (Feb 28).
Nazri had criticised Kuok after blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin posted three articles alleging that the Hong-Kong-based Malaysian tycoon was funding various political parties to overthrow the Government.
Nazri described Kuok as a “pondan” (effeminate), and was quoted by a news portal as challenging the 94-year-old billionaire to return to Malaysia to contest in the coming polls, adding that he should also surrender his Malaysian citizenship.
Kuok denied the allegations and said he would be taking action against the blog, Malaysia Today.
Nazri has not apologised, but said he was glad that Kuok had cleared the air.
Chong said although he had read Nazri’s explanation his remarks were focused solely on Kuok, his comments about Asia’s richest man were humiliating to the Malaysian Chinese community.
“You have chosen the wrong person to attack, based on a blogger’s write-up. As a minister, why don’t you find out the right facts and figures?” he said.
Chong also said that following Kuok’s statement denying the allegations against him in the Malaysia Today blog, it would be a simple thing for Nazri to issue an apology.