The Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister shrugged off the 48-hour deadline or face a lawsuit by Ngeh, pointing out that his remarks posted on Facebook did not specifically mention "Ngeh Koo Ham"
"Ngeh... Is he the only one in Perak? I did not mention Ngeh Koo Ham. I said 'said to be'," Ismail Sabri told The Malaysian Insider in a WhatsApp message.
The minister is under fire today for posting that Malay consumers should boycott Chinese businesses as a move to fight profiteering.
"Forgive me for sharing my views, but besides the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, which uses the Price Control Act and the Anti-Profiteering Act to act against traders who raise their prices indiscriminately, the greatest power lies with consumers.
"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority. If the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he posted on the social networking site.
Ismail Sabri, who was the former domestic trade and consumerism minister, confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that he posted the statement on his Facebook account.
The post has been shared numerous times by other Facebook users and several also congratulated him for being "bold" in his statement.
Ismail Sabri had also singled out the OldTown White Coffee café chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying Ngeh owned shares in the company.
"Malays are still refusing to boycott (OldTown White Coffee) what more when its owner is said to be the DAP Ngeh family of Perak who are known to be anti-Islam.
"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail Sabri.
Ismail Sabri insisted that he had only said that the franchise was "said to be" when linking with Ngeh.
Ngeh today threatened to sue Ismail Sabri for claiming he owned shares in the OldTown White Coffee cafe franchise and that he was anti-Islam unless the Barisan Nasional politician retracts the claims.
"There is not an iota of truth that I have shares in OldTown White Coffee or that I am anti-Islam.
"I never have, neither have I now nor in any part of my life, had shares in Old Town White Coffee," he had told The Malaysian Insider today, noting that this was an old allegation that he had repeatedly denied in the past.
Ngeh also said he was not anti-Islam, citing his social work among the Muslim community in Perak, where he is the Beruas MP.
Ngeh said he would lodge a police report against Ismail Sabri in Ipoh tomorrow and urged the minister to apologise quickly.
