Kuala Lampur, July 15 -- Celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail or Chef Wan said he will not hold grudges against critics who denounced him for chastising Felda settlers over their alleged lack of industry and ambition.

He said everyone has their own opinion and that one cannot please everybody, something he had said before in a BBC interview in London back in 2012.

"At the end of the day, I forgive them. There is no point in being vindictive," Redzuawan said in an interview with the New Straits Times.

He also defended his remarks on Felda settlers made last Monday, saying that his years of working with government ministries and bodies has opened his eyes to the people's problems.

Redzuawan was also raised in a Felda settlement and was...