‘Not wrong to reveal IC details’

KUALA LUMPUR: The information revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s lineage is accurate, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

In stating this, Nur Jazlan said there were other methods of verifying the matter, such as by checking the registration data of Mahathir’s alma mater.

“During his university registration, what name did he use? The National Registration Department has the details,” he said.

“He was born before Independence, during British rule,” he told reporters after visiting the TRIS Centre in Bangsar South.

Last Sunday, Ahmad Zahid revealed details of Mahathir’s identity card (IC) to prove the latter was of Indian ancestry.

During an Umno Kelana Jaya event, Ahmad Zahid stated that Mahathir’s real name was “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty”.

The revelation was met with criticism, with many claiming that Ahmad Zahid had breached the law for divulging the personal data of others.

Nur Jazlan said It was not an offence for anyone to divulge the particulars of a person’s identity card (IC) to the public.

“The details of an IC is a public record. Everyone can see our names and the details. It is not wrong (to disclose the details),” he said.

Nur Jazlan said many people had failed to grasp the intention of Ahmad Zahid in disclosing Mahathir’s details.