Whack me face to face, Nazri dares netizens

In his usual defiant manner, Culture and Tourism Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz told those who criticise him through social media to meet him in person instead of hiding behind the internet.

"I am probably the only minister who doesn't have a Twitter and Facebook account.

"I don't believe in Facebook; I believe in face to face (communication). If you want to whack me, whack me face to face; I can answer you in a straightforward manner, " Nazri said.

Nazri said this after being rapped on social media for reminding Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim that his meddling in politics carries the risk of being “whacked” by the government.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, Nazri said he doesn’t give a hoot about the negative opinions from netizens that came after.

"I didn't criticise the prince; I engaged with him. The prince should know who are the people he should criticise, and who are the people whom he depends on to protect his family.

"But to say I am being ungrateful, the intellectual capacity of these people must be very low then. If their intellectual level is low, I can't help it," he said.

Nazri’s royal rebuke was targeted at Tunku Ismail's Facebook post that ridiculed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for not turning up at the 'Nothing to Hide' dialogue on June 5.

"How can you have a dialogue called 'Nothing2Hide' featuring a person who has everything to hide? Obviously he won't show up," read the bilingual post, which also stressed the importance of leaders having the trust of the people.

In response, Nazri told reporters yesterday, "I think he should keep out of politics. Otherwise he may be subjected to the same rule. We will whack him."

The minister had cautioned Tunku Ismail that he would lose respect if he continued to comment on politics.

At the exclusive interview later, Nazri returns the punches rained on him by keyboard warriors.

"If I said something and people get quiet, then I would be very worried, as I am no longer important. But because I am very important, so whatever I say, you have your opinion.

"Thank you for your opinion. Please continue to do so. It helps to enhance my profile in the public domain," said the five-term Padang Rengas MP.