Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa
KUCHING: Federal Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s action of describing a state minister as a ‘gangster’ has been labelled as unprofessional and unbecoming by United People’s Party (UPP) Youth.
According to UPP Youth chief Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa, the party’s youth wing also thinks that Nazri is uncouth and rude towards state Tourism, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, whom he said is known to all in Sarawak as a humble, soft-spoken and caring assemblyman.
“He (Abdul Karim) politely requested a deferment of the arguably ill-conceived and somewhat hastily implemented Tourism Tax. He spoke in a civil and polite manner, which was in direct contrast to Nazri,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Rayong also mentioned that Nazri was clearly misguided to imply that Sarawak representatives had no standing to question lawmakers, ‘while he (Nazri) sits on his Putrajaya high chair and childishly acts like a principal in a school reprimanding his students’.
“I dare say that it is Nazri who could learn a thing or two from Abdul Karim, to start with. He is a federal minister not because he thinks that he knows what’s best for this country – he is one simply because he won an election for his party and was chosen by his party,” he said.
Sarawakians, and indeed Malaysians in any other state, according to Rayong, have a right to question all matters pertaining to the country.
“This is because it is the right of any state representative in Malaysia to ask questions on behalf of the state that they represent and Nazri should not callously attempt to intimidate Sarawak state ministers.
“By doing so, Nazri might impress some of his minions but mostly, he exposed his extremely poor manners and behaviour which is, to put it bluntly, disgusting.
“(Abdul) Karim is Sarawak’s state representative and whether he likes it or not, he is here to stay,” remarked Rayong.
He thus urged Nazri, as a federal minister, not to forget that he works for all the people of Malaysia and to stop ‘acting like God and have some humility’.
Nazri appeared incensed when Abdul Karim sought for postponement of the Tourism Tax on Sarawak.
Also labelling Abdul Karim as a new minister and inexperienced, Nazri said he (Nazri) was a ‘bigger gangster’ – taking into account his years of experience as a minister compared with Abdul Karim.
Abdul Karim has been the state Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports since last month after a cabinet reshuffle on May 6, while Nazri has been the Minister of Tourism and Culture since 2013.
Nazri’s comments on Abdul Karim did not go down well with most Sarawakians, although both ministers are from the Barisan Nasional (BN) fold.