Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he would not apologise to Perak DAP adviser Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.
Saying he had no reason to apologise to the Beruas Member of Parliament, Ismail Sabri said Ngeh should have understood the words he had used.
“Before this I had said that the Old Town White Coffee is said to be owned by Ngeh’s family.
“The word ‘said’ (dikatakan) did not mean that the company belongs to him. He is a lawyer and I’m a lawyer, so he should have understood the legal terms I had used.”
Ngeh had yesterday demanded the Umno lawmaker to apologise over his statement linking the DAP man’s family to the Old Town White Coffee franchise.
He added Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is set to announce a statement on Ismail’s call to boycott Chinese traders.
Ismail said he was set to meet Najib this evening before the statement was released.
“The statement will touch on this matter which was discussed at the Cabinet meeting earlier this morning.
” I will issue my own statement only after Najib has given his statement.”
The Bera Member of Parliament also said that MCA Youth Chief Chong Sin Woon’s call to Najib to sack the former was wrong.
“It is the Prime Minister’s absolute right to appoint a minister and no one can pressure or urge him as it is his own right.”
Meanwhile, Ismail urged the police to take swift action following death threats made against him which went viral on social media.
He said each threat should be investigated and police should take action.
“The police called me after I had made my statement on Facebook.
“So, when similar threats are made against me, the police have to react with such similar efficiency.”
On Tuesday, Ismail Sabri’s Facebook remarks had gone viral in which he had allegedly said Malays should use their power as consumers and boycott Chinese businesses so that Chinese traders would lower their prices of goods.
Despite removing the post later on, the statement triggered a huge backlash after many politicians across both sides of the divide, including DAP and MCA condemned his statement as racist in nature.
