‘I felt hurt by Dr M’s remarks’

JOHOR BARU: Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar admitted that he felt slighted by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks which equated the Bugis community with pirates.

He said such callous statements made by politicians could sow the seeds of hatred among the people.

Sultan Ibrahim said that such negative perceptions could risk destroying the Johorean practice of cooperation, or muafakat, which had led to peace and prosperity all this while.

“I, too, felt slighted (by what he said). I am of Bugis descent. The Sultan of Selangor is of Bugis descent. Many Johoreans are of Bugis descent. My ancestry can be traced to Riau-Lingga, where there are many Bugis people. What will the Bugis feel?

“Imagine if I say that Chinese were robbers. Won’t the Chinese feel slighted? If I say the Indians are murderers? The Indians will feel slighted.

“This is what I have been saying. Such things will cause disunity and incite hatred among the races.

“We should be respecting one another. We cannot allow anyone to say something that will cause one race to hate another.

“There is not just one race involved in developing Johor. Everyone plays a role,” said Sultan Ibrahim during an exclusive interview with the Media Prima Group at Istana Pasir Pelangi in conjunction with his 59th birthday.

The ruler said he wanted all Johoreans, regardless of race, to unite in spite of the challenges that came their way.

He said that any semblance of disunity could disrupt Johor’s development, and affect the state’s prosperity and the people’s wellbeing.