He said his visit to Jelebu was meant only to help promote tourism in the area.
“I went to visit Pekan Titi (in Jelebu) as I wanted to help the Chinese there develop their area, (but) instead MCA got angry.
“So how are the Chinese not angry at MCA?” Nazri told FMT in an interview yesterday.
Negeri Sembilan MCA Chairman Lim Chin Fui had on Sunday slammed Nazri for getting chummy with DAP’s Seremban MP Anthony Loke while he was in Jelebu.
Lim had reportedly posted on his Facebook that Nazri appeared to have “forgotten his identity”.
He warned the Umno Supreme Council member that Opposition leaders could be very “cunning” and “will claim credit for work done by the BN government”.
Nazri, however, said this was a “stupid statement” as Loke was there on his own accord and in his capacity as an MP.
By doing so, Loke had also shown him respect unlike the MCA-appointed village chiefs who snubbed him during his visit.
“I would have held their (MCA village chiefs) hands, but they decided to boycott me by not coming down to join me during my visit.
“The one who came was Loke. He respected me and came down.”
Nazri added that he would normally let MCA leaders take credit for tourism events in their areas, but in this case he went down himself so that DAP won’t get any political mileage.
He also said his friendship with the DAP lawmaker was a sign of mature politics, in which differences were set aside after elections.
He encouraged MCA to practise the same, by maybe reaching out to PAS.
“If Negeri Sembilan MCA wants to hug (PAS President) Abdul Hadi Awang, go ahead. Nothing wrong with that.
“In fact, I want to suggest if he wants to hug Hadi, kiss his cheeks three times like in the Malay culture.
“Even with the late Haron Din, when Prime Minister (Najib Razak) met him, they shook hands and hugged. What’s wrong with that?”
Nazri then provided a piece of advice to MCA if the party planned on winning in the next general election, instead of losing more seats like it did in the last.
“We have to be good to people. Believing in democracy doesn’t mean you contest, you win, then you want people to respect you.
“Even if we lose, we have to respect the decision that the public has made. Because the rakyat is king.
“They pick us, so we have to be good to them.
“Correct yourself or you won’t win. Like us Umno, even when we lost (certain seats to PAS), when we meet, we shake hands. That is Umno’s style.”