Quotekini: 'I worked very hard for my PhD'

The following are some memorable and not-so-memorable quotes of key Malaysian personalities over the past weeks.

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"Some say I bought the PhD, which I worked very hard to obtain. It wasn't easy."

Perlis Menteri Besar Md Isa Sabu remarked over allegations that he had bought his doctorate.

"We have now got political will right to the top (to fight crime). This was never the case, even since Merdeka... it was not seen as a need."

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said about the country's recent crime-busting efforts.

"I agree, but it is towards siding with the aspirations of the ruling party."

Utusan Malaysia group editor-in-chief Abdul Aziz Ishak toldthe Kuala Lumpur High Court when asked why the Malay daily did not give a balanced coverage on political news.

"They are the same thing. Demonstrating is rioting, and rioting is demonstrating."

ASP Ahmad Jais Ujang, who was in charge of Dataran Merdeka during the Bersih 3.0 rally, told a Suhakam inquiry abouthis view on the difference between a demonstrator and a rioter.

"I would also like to alert Sabahans that they should not be conned by Anwar. The first political party to officially campaign for the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) was PBS and its president Pairin (Kitingan) and the first time he raised it was in 1994. At that time, Anwar was deputy prime minister and he was the first to reject it."

MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim during a visit to Kota Kinabalu.

"If Anwar wants to take those who will not be fielded by (BN), go ahead. Anwar is also a frog because he left Abim (Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement) for Umno and then to PKR. It is no surprise that he takes in his own kind. The frog will accept another frog".

De facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz said of Anwar's move to welcome several Sabah BN MPs who had defected to the opposition.

"Surely nobody deserves to be insulted in such a manner. This is beyond acceptable ‘political bantering'. It is obvious that Zuraida realises the reference to ‘lembu' is a derogatory remark and in the colloquial Malay sense suggests stupidity, and this is slanderous and insulting."

Former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil described the humiliation to the High Court in her defamation case against PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin who described her as "cow minister of the year".

"No, I was not aware (of my husband's) bid. From the day we were married some 33 years ago, we respected each other's profession and did not interfere nor encroach in each other's work. We come from two different worlds professionally."

Shahrizat again, when pleading ignorance of her husband's bid for the controversy-plagued National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project.

"Noh Omar had not resigned because of the cows and condo matter for which he is responsible, so why he is nosing around asking people to resign?"

PKR supremo Anwar said about the agriculture minister in reference to the NFC controversy after the latter called on Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to resign if the state's water woes could not be resolved.

"Lin Dan wins. He played better than Lee Chong away. Lin Dan is so stylish. So modern. Doesn't look like a China man, but from China. Tattoo(s) all over."

Kota Alam Shah state assemblyperson M Manoharan said on Twitter in a series of postings seen as disparaging against national badminton player Lee Chong Wei, who failed to win gold at the Olympics after narrowly losing to China's Lin Dan.

"Malaysia will win its first gold medal after Pakatan (Rakyat) takes over Putrajaya".

Manoharan again, on the Olympics badminton final which earned him brickbats from the public and party colleagues, forcing him to later issue a public apology.