One of those who appears to have given a literal interpretation to the words is Mahathir’s son Mukhriz, the former menteri besar of Kedah.
However, Nazri directed his belittling remark specifically at Malay writers.
“Those people who raise this matter, their intellect is very low,” he said at a press conference today. “Unfortunately the intellectual level of Malay bloggers and Malay journalists is very low. This is the problem. Those who are smart like me are very few.”
Early this month, Nazri said he was ready to “go punching any time” with Mahathir if he was unhappy over the withdrawal of his privilege to have police outriders. According to a news article that appeared this morning, Mukhriz has taken the remark as a challenge and said Nazri would have to face him first. “If he wants a punch up, meet me first,” Ismaweb.net quoted Mahathir’s son as saying.
At today’s press conference, Nazri said he used “punching” in a figurative sense, like Mahathir used “makan dedak” in referring to alleged bribe taking by those who declare support for Prime Minister Najib Razak. “Dedak” is Malay for bird feed. Thus “makan dedak” literally means “eating scraps”.
“This is what I don’t understand,” Nazri said. “When Mahathir says people like me makan dedak, I don’t get angry. So why is it that when I say ‘let’s fight,’ you have to interpret it literally?”
Responding to Mukhriz’s challenge, he said, “Okay, no problem. Anytime.”
Nazri also said he was eagerly awaiting the next Umno Supreme Council meeting so he could table a motion seeking the expulsion of three rebels from the party. The three are Mukhriz, former deputy prime minister Muhyddin Yassin and the former minister of rural and regional development, Shafie Apdal.