Chef Wan: I’m not sorry at all

Proud moment: Chef Wan holding his award as Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (right) and Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (left) look on in Felda Selancar Tiga. — Bernama

CELEBRITY Chef Wan is willing to return his Felda Icon 2019 award rather than apologise to the settlers for claiming that some of them were lazy and tended to “breed like cats”, Sinar Harian reported.

The chef, whose real name is Datuk Wan Redzuawan Ismail, said he should not have to apologise for stating facts as he had observed such polygamous marriages and large families while growing up in a Felda settlement.

Stressing that he was not making a sweeping general statement, Chef Wan said his comments were only aimed at some settlers.

“Since when has stating the real facts been regarded as an offence?” he asked.

He said he had also informed the Felda management that he would return the award if it was the best way to please everyone.

Chef Wan also took a swipe at former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for saying he must have been possessed by the devil to make such comments.

He claimed that during Najib’s administration, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry had asked him to expose drug addiction, theft, cheating involving fertiliser subsidies, polygamous marriages and other social ills in Felda settlements at motivation seminars.> The daily also highlighted the case of a former army personnel in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, who had resorted to digging through garbage to feed his family.

Earning RM20 to RM30 a day selling plastic bottles, scrap metal and cardboard, Sabri Sab, 58, said he had to do what he could to feed his three children and 79-year-old mother, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and needs frequent medical care.

He said her monthly RM300 zakat contribution was hardly enough to bear the transportation costs for hospital visits and to buy milk.

?  The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.