Ismail Sabri: I won’t apologise

He says he won't withdraw the statement calling on Malays to boycott profiteering Chinese traders.

KUALA LUMPUR: Beleaguered Agriculture Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has refused to apologise for calling on Malay consumers to boycott profiteering Chinese traders.

“I won’t withdraw my statement and I won’t apologise,” he told reporters covering a gathering of his supporters at the Putra World Trade Centre.

He also said he would cooperate with police in their investigations into his case.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, in a Twitter message late yesterday, said police would question Ismail over his statement, which critics have described as racist in nature.

“I’ll leave it to the police to do their duty,” Ismail said.

Commenting on an MCA call for his resignation, he said: “What’s wrong with MCA? As partners in the (Barisan Nasional) coalition, we should be sitting down in discussion if there’s something one of us is dissatisfied with. There’s no need to join DAP in issuing a statement.”