KUALA LUMPUR – Police are expected to question Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad tomorrow over recent remarks he made that touched on racial sentiments.
The former prime minister’s lawyer, Mohd Rafique Rashid Ali, in a brief text message to Scoop, confirmed that officers from Bukit Aman will be meeting Dr Mahathir at the Perdana Leadership Foundation building in Putrajaya at 11am tomorrow.
The questioning is believed to be linked to his recent comments on the perceived “disloyalty” of members of the Malaysian Indians and Chinese communities, which has stirred public controversy.
This comes after dozens of police reports were lodged against Dr Mahathir over the matter.
Dr Mahathir in a recent interview with Chennai-based Thanthi TV had not only referred to Malaysian Indians and Chinese as immigrants, but also stated that they should not call themselves Malaysians unless they identify as Malays.
He also said Malaysian Indians do not speak Malay as their mother tongue, do not practise Malay culture, customs or traditions, and thus should not refer to Malaysia as their home country.
The two-time prime minister considered it a “problem” when “immigrants” (Indians and Chinese) claimed the country as their own while practising their own culture and customs.
Various leaders have strongly condemned Dr Mahathir’s remarks, noting the potential danger of inflaming racial tensions. – January 22, 2024