Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Excerpts from Minister in PM's Dept Nazri Aziz's exclusive interview with NST (sunday 28/10)
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/20071028074831/Article/index_html
Minister uses foul language in interview and NST prints it in censored form! And he had the gall to mention that "It’s more because of their anger – the language they use. Why should I read all this rubbish?" with regards to bloggers! Maybe we should stop reading NST as well due to the interviewee's angry tone and use of vulgar language.
On the Bar Council marching at Putrajaya
Q: You don’t think 1,000 is enough?
A: 1,000 of 13,000 — is that a majority? What’s the big deal?
In a democracy, the minority cannot control the majority. The minority does not speak for the majority.
Q: Aren’t the views of the minority also important?
A: But (they are) not (the) majority. If there are any decisions to be made, it has got to be the majority.
Q: Do you really want that many people marching in the streets?
A: No. You don’t have to have millions of people marching in the streets. Let the people decide, whether there is a crisis or not, through the legal means of sharing your dissent or anger — through the ballot box.
Q: Do you read blogs?
A: I don’t. I don’t waste my time. The few pieces that people print for me are just rubbish.
I’d rather spend my time to do things that are constructive; that go down directly to the people who are really in need of the help of the government.
Our bloggers are really not up to standard. When they put up something, it’s not something that they want to discuss in a very intellectual way.
It’s more because of their anger – the language they use. Why should I read all this rubbish?
When the standard of our bloggers is upgraded, then probably I will look at what is written.
But anyway, they are a minority. My concern is for the majority
Q: Indians in Malaysia are a minority. Does that mean that they don’t count?
A: No, not in that minority sense. I am talking about bloggers.
When you talk about minority in the sense of perkauman, they are very important, because they are our rakyat, a rakyat that needs to be helped.
Bloggers don’t need to be helped. They are merely throwing rubbish into the blog.
I have no concern for and care about bloggers.
The problems of Indians as a minority is different from the problems of the bloggers. You must appreciate that. I don’t care about the bloggers, but I do care about the minority Indians.
In my constituency, I take care of them. You can go to my constituency and see what I have done for the Indian minority. I was the one to open the training in Mara for the Indian youths.
These are my concerns.
Q: Is there anything wrong in walking for your beliefs?
A: No. But that is the way of the opposition. If you are a political party, we can understand. But if you are a respectable society, that’s not an honourable way to do it — not when the government accords you respect.
How can you bring yourself so low? The moment you do that, we don’t respect you.
If I say to you, “M****r*****r you!", can you say, “Eh, let us sit down, we’ll talk about it.” No!
You are lawyers, man! People respect you. So, do it in an honourable way.
When the president of the Bar Council wants an appointment with the PM, she or he gets it. That’s how it is. That’s what I wanted, and I would have accommodated that.
But they didn’t contact me. I was waiting. Ambiga knows my doors are open.
