Attacked for criticising Felda settlers, Chef Wan tells Najib to ‘shut his mouth’

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Malaysian celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail lashed out at Datuk Seri Najib Razak today after the former prime minister suggested he should retract his criticism of Felda settlers yesterday.

The celebrity chef commonly called Chef Wan also told Najib to mind his own business and “stop barking like a mad dog.”

In a series of posts on Instagram, Redzuawan said Najib had no standing to ridicule him given that he was in court facing dozens of corruption and money-laundering charges.

He also reminded Najib that he had helped the latter’s Barisan Nasional administration in outreach programmes for Felda settlers as well as other charity events.

“How sad and stupid that was I said has been sensationalised, misinterpreted and twisted so that I look bad in the eye of the public?

“There’s a big difference in me saying that there are some Felda people who are lazy, and like to marry more than once and are not responsible towards their children’s welfare, to me saying ‘all Felda people’!

“He should shut his mouth and sing Kris Dayanti’s song Menghitung Hari rather than interfering in my business. Does he have nothing else to do rather than put me down for something I didn’t say by twisting my words?” Redzuawan said.

He also posted a screenshot of Najib’s tweet mocking him for saying some Felda settlers would become polygamous after receiving windfalls and “breed like cats”.

Redzuawan insisted that the comment was simply his brand of humour.

“When I say ‘breed like cats’ its not to insult the Felda settlers but a joke between Malay people on some of the men who liked to marry over and over but not take care of their children’s education and in the end they end up becoming a social problem to the society.

“Is it wrong to call them out in the right way?” he said.

“If he is a smart and wise man, he should have read between the lines… rather than jumping to conclusions like the rest and barking at me like a mad dog,” he said adding that such comments will only embarrass them because it was clearly politicising the issue.

“Anyway I am not surprised that not all politicians are smart and wise otherwise they would have not got caught in the end with their pants down!” he said.

Redzuawan, who is the 2019 Felda Icon, added that he had been asked by the Rural Development Ministry to give motivational talks to settlers at Felda estates in Pahang during the Najib era and had worked alongside the BN government for two years.

“I travelled all over the state of Pahang sacrificing my time, body and soul to assist the government. Now that he has lost his power in politics suddenly i am seen as the bad guy? Hello, am I that desperate for the Felda Icon award? I can give it back tomorrow if they want,” he said.

“We do good things to be a role model to society, not a role model on robbing the people’s money,” he said.

Redzuawan was raised at Felda Sungai Koyan in Lipis, Pahang.