Nazri Abdul Aziz has defended Transparency International chair Jose Ugaz's freedom of expression with regard to his scathing speech on the RM2.6 billion issue involving Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Can you check for me if freedom of speech and freedom of expression are still in our (Federal) Constitution ?" the culture and tourism minister asked reporters when he was quizzed on this matter.

"(If yes, then) let him speak," he said.

Addressing the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Putrajaya yesterday, Ugaz ( photo ) demanded answers to several questions concerning the issue.

Alluding to Najib, he had said: "One man can answer those questions."

Commenting further, Nazri, with his trademark sarcasm, said: "He (Ugaz) can even say, 'Nazri, come and explain the RM3 you got from your donor.'”

He also defended Najib's absence at the opening of the anti-corruption conference.

"What is happening in our country now is there are some allegations which are unfair to the prime minister, so it is only fair for him not to be present at the conference," he said.

"It is free speech okay ? What is big deal about it ?" he said.

No sackings

Likewise, Nazri also defended the right of former beauty pageant and artiste Soo Wincci ( photo ) asking Najib to step down through a video clip that went viral on the internet.

"I don't even know her. I think it is her right because we already agreed that we do not censor social media," he said.

"Back in those day without the social media, people still talked about our prime minister," he said.

"Why doesn't she also post another interesting video asking me to resign? " he said.

The Umno supreme council member also brushed off allegations that the party's deputy president Muyhiddin Yassin and vice-president Shafie Apdal would be sacked at the party supreme council on Sept 9.

"This is baseless. I don't respond to rumours. I only talk about facts," he said.

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