Nazri to Rafidah: You are one reason Chinese dislike BN

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Nazri said the Chinese began to dislike the BN due to certain shortsighted policies Rafidah had introduced as a minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz has fired another salvo at former federal minister Rafidah Aziz, saying her “shortsightedness” had contributed to the Chinese community’s dislike for the Barisan Nasional.

At a press conference today, the Padang Rengas MP said the Chinese began to dislike the BN due to certain shortsighted policies she had introduced as a minister.

“Years ago, at an Umno AGM, she was attacked by Umno delegates because she was giving approved permits (APs) to favoured Bumiputera companies.”

Nazri claimed when it was Rafidah’s turn to talk, she said the delegates shouldn’t be angry as she was taking APs from Chinese companies to give to Bumiputera companies.

“That is shortsighted. It reeks of racism. It’s not good for nation building. Was she trying to tell us that we should applaud her? I think this was when the Chinese started to hate the BN.

“How can you justify giving Bumiputera companies APs by saying you took from the Chinese. Until now we are suffering because the Chinese still don’t trust the BN because of things ministers like Rafidah did.”

He was responding to Rafidah’s remarks that he was being shortsighted in claiming that her recent criticism of the government was due to her personal grudge against Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

In a recent Malaysiakini article, Rafidah had called Nazri shortsighted and had said the National Feedlot Corporation still owed the government RM248 million.

Shahrizat, who ousted Rafidah as Wanita Umno chief, is the wife of Mohamed Salleh Ismail, who ran the NFC and was charged with criminal breach of trust amounting to nearly RM50 million but was subsequently acquitted by the courts.

Nazri said Prime Minister Najib Razak, however, was different as he supported the Chinese and Indian communities through targeted programmes and loans.

He also said Rafidah had failed to understand the NFC issue in claiming that the money had been “sapu” (taken) and it was not returned to the government.

“NFC took a RM250 million loan, and RM170 million was used as start-up expenditure but the loan was stopped and they couldn’t do business. If they were allowed to do business, they could have paid back the loan.”

So, he said, the money was spent for start-up expenditure and that there was still money tied to NFC being held under the Anti Money Laundering Act (AMLA), and that this didn’t mean Salleh had taken the money.

“Rafidah is shallow in her thinking and it is unbecoming of a person who was a minister for many years. I’m proud of Rafidah for being a champion of women’s’ rights, but she didn’t defend Shahrizat, who is just Salleh’s wife.”

He said Shahrizat shouldn’t have had to suffer because of Salleh’s alleged actions.

“She has suffered and paid a high price. She lost her senator post and her post in the cabinet. All women should support Shahrizat; I can’t understand why Rafidah didn’t.

“But I understand, Rafidah is jealous of Shahrizat because she lost the Wanita Umno post,” he alleged.