REVERSE psychology or otherwise, such was one view which stood up as jubilant UMNO grassroots continue pushing for National DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming to step down following Saturday’s (July 11) Barisan Nasional (BN) landslide victory in the Johor state election.
Pro-BN political commentator Tai Zee How has apparently insinuated that a court jester-like characteristic possessed by the Housing and Local Government Minister is essential to somehow set a self-destruction path for the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
“I urge those out there not to pressure YB Nga Kor Ming to resign. Our side needs him to continue behaving as he has been doing all this time,” mocked the lawyer renowned with the moniker “Apek Cina” among his vast Malay fanbase in a Facebook post.
He’s one of the most effective campaigners for our side. The more he talks, the more people support our side.
Therefore, don’t push him (further). Let him continue to be a Minister and maintain that attitude. Just an opinion.
Tai’s seemingly sensible opinion came about as the cyberspace was abuzz with especially UMNO/Bossku diehards rooting for Nga’s head so to speak ever since it was official that BN has thumped PH with an improved 48-8 scoreline from 40-16 to win the 56-seat Johor state assembly.
This follows his much-publicised statement that “I’ll be the first person to resign if UMNO wins big in Johor and Najib is freed”.
Eventually, rightist UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has come forward to offer to draft the resignation letter for Nga which prompted samples of such letter to circulate aside from fanning and fuelling the anti-DAP/PH sentiment further.
In the latest development which has been touted by detractors as “twist and spin to wiggle his way out after being cornered”, the Teluk Intan MP has alluded to the pertinent fact that there are two-sides to his statement – (i) if UMNO wins big; and (ii) if now incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak is released from prison.
In laymen’s term, while one condition has been fulfilled, the other is unlikely to happen in the near future unless Bossku is granted royal pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
As he was swamped by both journalists and eager netizens the entire Sunday (July 12) starting with the presentation of cash assistance to victims of the recent storm in Bercham, Perak, Nga has eventually issued a media statement to clear the misinterpretation in his recent interview with Chinese language Oriental Daily.
What I stated during the interview is my consistent stance as a solicitor and advocate of the High Court of Malaya which is that the integrity of the country’s judicial system must be defended.
If DS Najib who caused Malaysians to now have to bear the 1MDB debt of RM51.4 bil can be released without serving a sentence commensurate with his offence even though he has been found guilty, it means that the integrity of this country’s judicial system has been compromised and the principle of the rule of law as enshrined in the RUKUN NEGARA is no longer respected.
If such a situation occurs, I am willing to resign as a member of the Cabinet in order to defend the integrity of our beloved country’s judicial system,
This is not a personal matter but rather one of principle. I remain firm in such principle.
Perhaps this verbatim translation of Nga’s Mandarin statement on his preparedness to resign should Bossku is freed into Bahasa Malaysia by moderate Muslim influencer Nasri Azhar can set the record straight that Nga has never promised to resign if BN won big in the Johor state polls. – July 13, 2026
Main image credit: Iesya Toh/Facebook
