Nazri: MCA, MIC attacking me over Umno-PAS talks

Padang Rengas MP Nazri Abdul Aziz claims he is being attacked by MCA and MIC because they are unhappy Umno is exploring a permanent tie-up with PAS.

"They can't condemn the Umno-PAS talks without making the Malays angry, so they are using me as a scapegoat," Nazri told Malaysiakini.

Umno and PAS leaders are meeting today to discuss their future cooperation, with Nazri indicating previously that it could be a "permanent agenda."

Yesterday, MCA and MIC cited alleged racial remarks by Nazri as a reason why the two BN component parties are "moving on" and exploring a "new alliance".

Nazri, who is also BN secretary-general, had said that would spell the end of MCA and MIC as Umno was the core of BN.

His remarks have been criticised by former minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan as antagonistic for a BN leader.

Nazri clarified today that what he had said was in his personal capacity and not as BN secretary-general.

"I was speaking in my personal capacity yesterday because they attacked me," he said.

MCA and MIC had recently criticised Nazri after the latter was alleged to have called for Chinese and Tamil schools to be closed.

Nazri denied wanting vernacular schools to be closed and accused the media of misquoting him.

He explained that his remarks were meant to show that if Malay privileges were disputed, so too could the privileges of non-Malays be disputed, including their right to have vernacular schools.

Malaysiakini reported Nazri's speech as warning the non-Malays against questioning Malay special privileges or risk compromising on vernacular schools.

Nazri reiterated his denial of such racial remarks today.

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