Racist posting? Someone else wrote that, Redzuan says

Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof said it was someone else, and not him, who wrote Facebook posts mocking a Chinese journalist’s knowledge of the constitution.

When asked about the posts on his Facebook pages, Redzuan interrupted the question and said, "No, no, no... I think, there is no such thing as ‘Chinese reporter’ (sic), someone else wrote that."

He said this at a press conference in Petaling Jaya on Aug 27.

However, the minister neither identified nor elaborated on the alleged “someone else” who had written the posts.

Last week, Redzuan had posted two videos of his exchange with a Malaysiakini journalist about the constitution.

The videos appeared on both his personal Facebook profile and his official Facebook page.

The one on his official page, was a re-upload of a video from news outlet Malaysia Gazette, and had the caption: "'Menteri terkejut' ada wartawan bangsa Cina tak tahu pelembagaan (sic) Malaysia" ('Minister shocked' that a Chinese reporter doesn't know the Malaysian Constitution).

Meanwhile, on his personal profile, the Malaysia Gazette video had been re-edited to start with a text splash reading: "Pak Wan terkejut ada wartawan bangsa Cina tak tahu Rukun Negara" (Pak Wan shocked that a Chinese reporter doesn’t know the Rukun Negara).

Pak Wan is Redzuan's nickname.

As of Aug 28, both videos appear to have been deleted.

The videos had captured an exchange on Aug 19, when a Malaysiakini reporter asked Redzuan to elaborate on his previous claim that the Malays have compromised too much with racists.

"Malays in Malaysia are very accommodative. All ethnic groups have to know the constitution. What is our constitution?" he replied, before abruptly turning his focus on the reporter.

"I would like to ask you, [gestures to reporter] what is our constitution? What is our Rukun Negara? Do you know?" he asked, to which the reporter replied in the affirmative.

Although the reporter answered "tahu" ("I do know") three times, this appeared lost on the minister as Redzuan turned towards the others and declared, "Ah, (she) doesn't know."

At the press conference on Tuesday, Redzuan explained that he had questioned the Chinese reporter about her knowledge of the Federal Constitution because "then you know you don't have to raise any issue in regard to race".

Redzuan also said that if people knew about "Bangsa Malaysia", the Federal Constitution, and the Rukun Negara, racial issues would not arise.

"Racists, to me we have to look at what is Bangsa Malaysia.

"I want to ask you (reporter), you're Malaysian, of Bangsa Malaysia right, you know the federal constitution, the Rukun Negara, if we explain that to everyone about what Bangsa Malaysia is, racial issues would not arise," he said.

It is not clear what he meant by Bangsa Malaysia, which he said was outlined in the Federal Constitution.

The Federal Constitution in both Malay and English makes no mention of “bangsa”, and only contains a definition of a Malay.

Redzuan said political leaders and heads of government departments must ensure people know what Bangsa Malaysia is.

He also said that he would push for the government to either strengthen existing laws or make new laws to punish those "who don't follow the constitution".

"We have to be truthful to ourselves, to carry the identity of Bangsa Malaysia…but they themselves do not uphold Bangsa Malaysia according to the Federal Constitution," he said.