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 Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz
(1954-05-15) 15 May 1954
Perak, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia)
Citizenship Malaysian
Political party United Malays National Organisation part of Barisan Nasional
Occupation Politician
Religion Sunni Islam

Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin 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

Parliament of Malaysia: Chenderoh, Perak[7]
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%
Parliament of Malaysia: P61 Padang Rengas, Perak[8]
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

  1. Kaur, Manjit (5 December 2005). "Kok did not break law by showing clip, says Nazri". The Star.
  2. "'Nazri calls Dr. M a racist for defending BTN and Beruk'". The Malaysian Insider. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  3. 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.
  4. "Karpal: Nazri misled Parliament". Bernama (Malaysia Today). 8 November 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  5. "Salleh was sacked, says Dr M". News Straits Times. 9 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 November 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
  6. [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]
  7. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri". Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 14 June 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  8. "Malaysia Decides 2008". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 2 January 2010.
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