UPDATED 12.30AM Nasir Safar, the special officer to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who stirred a hornet's nest with his stinging 'racist' remarks will resign, according...
@ THE EDGE
KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) reacted swiftly on Feb 3 to contain a potential public outrage and an image-damaging episode for the government’s 1Malaysia policy, this time stemming from allegedly racist remarks made by one of its aides.
In a statement on Feb 3 evening, PMO said Special Officer to the Prime Minister, Datuk Nasir Safar, would tender his resignation over the alleged incident.
“The remarks allegedly made by Datuk Nasir Safar, Special Officer to the Prime Minister, in Melaka today does not in any way reflect the views of the Prime Minister.
“Datuk Nasir never intended to make any derogatory remarks. He spoke at length on the contributions made by all races in developing the country. Nevertheless, Datuk Nasir apologises for any offence caused.
“In light of this, Datuk Nasir will tender his resignation,” it said. The statement did not say when the resignation would take effect or whether it had been accepted.
Online news portal The Malaysian Insider reported that Nasir allegedly said: “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially the women came to sell their bodies.”
In a phone interview with the news portal, Nasir said: “I did not say the word ‘pendatang (immigrant)’. I only said the country has been successful as the Chinese and the Indians from those days until today have been coming here to work.”
The Malaysian Insider also reported Nasir dismissed claims that he had threatened to revoke the citizenships of non-Malays who demanded that their rights be respected.
Meanwhile, MIC Youth will hold a press conference at its headquarters here today to “criticise” Nasir’s alleged remarks.
National MIC Youth secretary C Sivaraj called on the media to give comprehensive coverage on the issue, adding that the youth wings of MCA and Gerakan were also expected to be present to lend their support.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang questioned whether ministers would put Nasir on the “mat” at its cabinet meeting scheduled today, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia was getting “very torn and tattered”.
“(The) test is (whether) cabinet (is) going to get Nasir sacked or publicly admit 1Malaysia is bogus. Nobody believes Nasir’s denial,” he said via twitter on Feb 3.
@ THE EDGE
KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) reacted swiftly on Feb 3 to contain a potential public outrage and an image-damaging episode for the government’s 1Malaysia policy, this time stemming from allegedly racist remarks made by one of its aides.
In a statement on Feb 3 evening, PMO said Special Officer to the Prime Minister, Datuk Nasir Safar, would tender his resignation over the alleged incident.
“The remarks allegedly made by Datuk Nasir Safar, Special Officer to the Prime Minister, in Melaka today does not in any way reflect the views of the Prime Minister.
“Datuk Nasir never intended to make any derogatory remarks. He spoke at length on the contributions made by all races in developing the country. Nevertheless, Datuk Nasir apologises for any offence caused.
“In light of this, Datuk Nasir will tender his resignation,” it said. The statement did not say when the resignation would take effect or whether it had been accepted.
Online news portal The Malaysian Insider reported that Nasir allegedly said: “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially the women came to sell their bodies.”
In a phone interview with the news portal, Nasir said: “I did not say the word ‘pendatang (immigrant)’. I only said the country has been successful as the Chinese and the Indians from those days until today have been coming here to work.”
The Malaysian Insider also reported Nasir dismissed claims that he had threatened to revoke the citizenships of non-Malays who demanded that their rights be respected.
Meanwhile, MIC Youth will hold a press conference at its headquarters here today to “criticise” Nasir’s alleged remarks.
National MIC Youth secretary C Sivaraj called on the media to give comprehensive coverage on the issue, adding that the youth wings of MCA and Gerakan were also expected to be present to lend their support.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang questioned whether ministers would put Nasir on the “mat” at its cabinet meeting scheduled today, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia was getting “very torn and tattered”.
“(The) test is (whether) cabinet (is) going to get Nasir sacked or publicly admit 1Malaysia is bogus. Nobody believes Nasir’s denial,” he said via twitter on Feb 3.
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