Sultan unhappy with Dr M’s ‘Bugis pirates’ remarks
SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has expressed displeasure and regret over the recent statement by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad which was seen as attempting to incite Malaysians to look down on the Bugis community.
The secretary of the Selangor Council of the Royal Court, Hanafisah Jais said that based on the video clip on the statement by Dr Mahathir which went viral on the social media, the Sultan of Selangor described the allegations and statements as clearly insulting and grouping the Bugis community as being descendants of pirates, robbers and criminals.
“Members of the Selangor Council of the Royal Court considered the speech as being extreme and could cause hatred and public prejudice against the Bugis community which could lead to chaos and disorder.
“This allegation indirectly insulted the genealogy and descendants of the Selangor Sultanate who originated from Makassar (Bugis),” he said in a statement, here yesterday.
According to Hanafisah, historical facts showed that the Selangor Sultanate originated from Bugis who were warriors who had struggled and defended the religion and peace throughout the Nusantara Malay Archipelago.
He said that Dr Mahathir as a former prime minister who had led the country’s administration for 22 years should have been more careful in issuing any statement and should be more knowledgeable on historical facts on the Bugis community.
“His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor also reminded everyone, especially politicians, against ridiculing racial issues as political capital because this could jeopardise racial harmony and solidarity in the country.
“Members of the Selangor Council of the Royal Court uphold all the directives of His Royal Highness on this issue and feel that an investigation or legal action under the Seditious Act 1948 or any other relevant law should be taken against Tun Dr Mahathir,” he said.
In a speech at a gathering organised by the opposition parties in Petaling Jaya on Oct 14, Dr Mahathir had tried to link the descendants of prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as possibly originating from the Bugis pirates.
This issue had also drawn reaction from Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla who said he felt insulted by the statement.
Several groups representing the Bugis community in Malaysia also demanded that Dr Mahathir made an open apology. - Bernama