I refer to the Malaysiakini report Nazri to Tamil Nadu CM – butt out!

Is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz the official spokesman of the Malaysian government? As a peace-loving Malaysian, a social and consumer activist, I sincerely pray not. For far too long, this one man taken a tone that continues to anger, upset and test the intelligence of all right-thinking Malaysians and observers abroad.

And not just with the language and arrogance that he addresses issues in this age and time, whether it be directed at the former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad or at those whose rights were trampled in the various religious, social and political issues affecting the nation.

He has also attacked members of an elected community, the opposition, members of the Malaysian Bar, civil society and community leaders, past national leaders and even members of the Indian community who participated in a peaceful march whom he called thugs!

Now he directs his vulgar outbursts at the charismatic and much respected Tamil Nadu chief minister, Karunanidhi who has an international following of billions! Karunanidhi is faulted since he has asked the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek immediate action for the sufferings and bad treatment of Tamils in Malaysia, based on grievances linked to recent Hindraf rally.

I wonder where this same ‘courage’ was when certain political gangsters gatecrashed a peaceful meeting during Apcet II in the 1990s or during an unprovoked, vulgar and unadulterated attack on minorities of Malaysia during a political party’s general assembly. As usual, Nazri was selectively assuming that his statements are not being monitored by both local and foreign political observers and analysts.

Nazri must be reminded that it would be plain stupid to continue to behave like a political ruffian since the Nov 25 and other rallies have indeed received widespread coverage in the international media. Nazri’s outburst at the Tamil Nadu leader attracted calls for a boycott of Malaysia and may have been why the Tamil Nadu CM refused to meet MIC president S Samy Vellu despite the latter waiting for three days in Madras last week.

As a consumer advocate of more than three decades, my appeal is that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Tun Razak instruct Nazri to just shut up and instead engage all groups, including Hindraf, in positive and proactive light to set a plan of action with timelines and action plans to address legitimate concerns.

The duo must also take a bold stand to distance themselves from outdated and misleading perceptions of third parties and others in office who only want to serve their own political interests, survival and agendas.