Nazri wants MCA, MIC to attend BN supreme council meeting

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite facing criticism, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (pic) wants MCA and MIC to attend the upcoming Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting this Friday (March 8).

"I will be there. I have no problems to face (the meeting). I will come. Jangan lah begitu, datanglah (Don't act that way, come to the meeting)," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday (March 5), MCA and MIC issued a joint statement, saying that Nazri should not attend the upcoming meeting, as his appointment as Barisan secretary-general was unconstitutional.

The two parties added that if Nazri agreed to attend the meeting, then the legitimacy of the meeting will be disputed.

.The two parties also said that Nazri's appointment as Barisan secretary-general was never formally discussed with the coalition's supreme council.

In responding to the joint statement, Nazri said that he would resign as Barisan secretary-general, if his appointment was not legitimate.

"But, it must follow the law," he added.

Nazri was speaking to reporters after attending the PAS-Umno meeting on its formal cooperation at PWTC on Tuesday.

Asked if MCA and MIC would accept the newly announced PAS-Umno cooperation, Nazri said that no matter what happens, the interests of the Malays and Islam must be prioritised without sidelining other races.

"The cooperation with PAS will not necessarily diminish the interests of non-Malays. No way," he added.

Nazri also denied that he acted as a "provocateur" in the tiff between him and the two component parties.

"Who provoked me? I did not provoke anyone. My statement is not calling out for Chinese vernacular schools to be shut down.

"You know me, I'm a Malaysian and I'm not a racist. They used this issue even though I have issued a denial. This is an effort to highlight to the non-Malays that I'm a racist, which I'm not," he said.

Umno's Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan had said that Nazri should not be an antagonist.

Abdul Rahman said as the secretary-general of Barisan, Nazri should act in a more diplomatic manner in handling party matters.

The public spat between Nazri and MCA and MIC was triggered after he purportedly issued a racially tinged remark during the campaigning period in the recently concluded Semenyih by-election.- Star