Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
| Yang Berhormat Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz MP | |
|---|---|
|
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz interviewed during a press conference. | |
| Minister of Tourism and Culture | |
|
Assumed office 16 May 2013 | |
| Preceded by |
Ng Yen Yen (Tourism portfolio) Rais Yatim (Culture portfolio) |
| Member of Parliament for Padang Rengas, Perak | |
|
Assumed office 2004 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Minister in the Prime Minister Department Law & Parliamentary Affairs | |
|
In office 31 March 2004 – 5 May 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 May 1954 Perak, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Political party | United Malays National Organisation part of Barisan Nasional |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (born 15 May 1954) is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and is as of 2008 a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of affairs.[1] In June 2005 Nazri caused controversy when he shouted the phrase "racist" (or variants of it) 28 times in Parliament. A request by opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) lawmaker Fong Po Kuan for Nazri to take back his comments went unheeded. The incident occurred during a debate on the Malaysian Medical Council's derecognition of Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) medical degrees; most Malaysian students sent to study there were of Indian extraction. Nazri has since used the phrase "bloody racist" on Tun Dr. Mahathir because the latter supports a controversial government programme that allegedly indoctrinates racist sentiments in civil servants and public university students.[2]
Nazri was originally also the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs and judicial reform. After the 2008 general election, which saw the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition's majority in Parliament significantly reduced, the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reshuffled his Cabinet and gave Nazri's legal affairs portfolio to Zaid Ibrahim.[3]
He has also recently (2006) been called the hatchetman of Abdullah, then Prime Minister of Malaysia, by Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, for defending Abdullah in Mahathir's ongoing criticisms against the government.
In September 2010 he came out openly in the defence of Prime Minister Najib's 1Malaysia policy, saying that he is a Malaysian first and a Malay next. This is in complete opposition to that expressed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin bin Mohd. Yassin, who has time and again reiterated that he is Malay first and Malaysian second.
He is an alumnus of Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
Criticisms
Opposition Member of Parliament Karpal Singh said Nazri had misled Parliament when he said judges involved in the 1988 Judicial crisis were not sacked but were asked to take early retirement.[4] Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad also refuted Nazri's suggestion saying Salleh and two of the five other judges involved in the 1988 judicial crisis had not been dismissed but were asked to retire early. He said Tun Salleh Abas was sacked as lord president but obtained a pension on grounds of compassion.[5]
In 2009 photos surfaced of a woman and a man rumoured to be Nazri in a compromising position but several politicians who were close to him said the man in the pictures is not him.[6]
Election results
| Year | Government | Votes | Pct | Opposition | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | 16,983 | 73% | Saidin Mat Piah (S46) | 5,190 | 22% | ||
| 1999 | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | 13,374 | 57% | Hamzah Mohd Zain (PKR) | 9,384 | 40% | ||
| Year | Government | Votes | Pct | Opposition | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | 9,214 | 66% | Mohd Zolkafly Yahaya (PKR) | 4,442 | 32% | ||
| 2008 | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | 9,830 | 54% | Alias Zenon (PKR) | 8,081 | 44% | ||
| 2013 | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | 13,005 | 55% | Meor Ahmad Isharra Ishak (PKR) | 10,775 | 45% | ||
Notes and references
- ↑ Kaur, Manjit (5 December 2005). "Kok did not break law by showing clip, says Nazri". The Star.
- ↑ "'Nazri calls Dr. M a racist for defending BTN and Beruk'". The Malaysian Insider. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ↑ Loh, Deborah (18 March 2008). "'It's going to be one hell of a Parliament'". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
- ↑ "Karpal: Nazri misled Parliament". Bernama (Malaysia Today). 8 November 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
- ↑ "Salleh was sacked, says Dr M". News Straits Times. 9 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 November 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
- ↑ [TheStar(2009)Man in photo with woman 'not Nazri'. Retrieved 27 September 2009 from webpage http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/14/nation/3478207&sec=nation]
- ↑ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri". Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 14 June 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- ↑ "Malaysia Decides 2008". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 2 January 2010.
| ||||||||||