Nazri glad that Kuok is speaking up (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Although unapologetic about his recent attack on Hong Kong-based Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said he is happy and relieved that Kuok has finally come forward to shed some light on the issue.
Nazri today said Kuok should have done it earlier so that the issue of his funding of the DAP and a news portal would not have escalated to its current stage.
"He should have come forward to deny those allegations when it first surface instead of waiting for social media and news portal to pick it and play it up," Nazri said after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Senegal on tourism cooperation today.
"However, it is still a good thing that he had come forward and denied it now. It is a goodwill on his part and I thank him for that as his denial prove that he got nothing against the current administration."
Nazri added that his recent attacks were solely based on all the reports that were not denied by Kuok and he was responding in support of the statement made by the Prime Minister.
"I like to stress that any statement made before this was based on reports made by Raja Petra Kamarudin against him (Kuok) to which he had not denied until yesterday (Monday)," he said, adding that he was merely defending Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak as he was part of the government.
He said Kuok being a business magnate should have known the seriousness of this issue if left unattended.
"However, since that everything has been cleared up, I hoped he would indeed take action against those who made unfounded allegations against him as denials alone are not sufficient to prove his innocence," he said.
Last Friday, controversial blogger Raja Petra had alleged that Kuok was funding DAP through his nephew, James Kuok, with the intention of overthrowing the government.
This, however, was denied in a statement by Kuok's office on Monday stating that those allegations were untrue, seriously defamatory and they are mulling action against him.
Separately, Nazri also shot back at MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan for telling him that he is in no position to ask Kuok to give up his citizenship.
"He does not have to teach me that. I know I do not have the authority to remove anyone citizenship as I am not the Home Minister, I am the Culture and Tourism Minister.
" I only said if Kuok really felt that way about the government then he should just give up his citizenship, no one said will be taking away his citizenship. It was merely a suggestion.
"Ong is not a clever person for making such stupid statement when everyone knows that I do not have the power to do so," Nazri said.

Nazri then stressed that his attacks is directed only at Kuok and not the Chinese community so he urged everyone not to think an that attack on Kuok is an attack on the Chinese community.