KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is deeply angered and disappointed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks calling Bugis descendants “pirates” during last month’s anti-kleptocracy rally, the state palace said today.
Selangor Council of the Royal Court secretary Hanafisah Jais issued a statement on behalf of the sultan after a meeting earlier today.
The council and the Sultan agreed that Dr Mahathir’s remarks allegedly describing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a descendant of Bugis pirates was insulting to the Bugis community.
Hanafisah said the veteran politician’s remarks could spark hatred and prejudice against the Bugis community, and was also an insult to the Sultan Sharafuddin who is a descendant of Bugis royalty.
“His Majesty Sultan of Selangor, after discussing with members of the Selangor Council of the Royal Court on November 2, 2017 is angered, disappointed and views very seriously the contents of the speech made by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” the statement read.
Hanafisah said that Dr Mahathir as a former PM should have been more careful with his speech, and should have sought to find out actual facts about the history of the Bugis community.
“Historical facts show that the Selangor Sultanate are Bugis descendants, who are warriors who have fought and defended religion and peace in the Malay archipelago.”
The Selangor Sultan also reminded all parties especially politicians to refrain from use race and ancestry as a tool to garner support.
Several parties representing the Bugis community in Malaysia and Indonesia have demanded Dr Mahathir to openly apologise over the issue.
MEANWHILE, according to The Star:
The Sultan of Selangor is unhappy with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks against the Bugis community.
In a statement, Selangor Royal Court secretary Hanafisah Jais said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah met with the royal council on Thursday (Nov 2) and viewed the former premier’s statement very seriously.
The Royal Court said that a sedition probe into the remarks which labelled Bugis as pirates were warranted.
Dr Mahathir, during the Himpunan Sayangi Malaysia – Hapuskan Kleptokrasi rally on Oct 14, had allegedly said that Malaysia had a leader who descended from “Bugis pirates”.
She said the members of the Selangor Royal Court viewed such remarks as extreme which could have triggered hateful feelings and prejudices against the Bugis community.
She added that this could have provoked violence against the community.
“The remarks could have inadvertently insulted the genealogy and ancestry of the Selangor sultanate who have Bugis ancestry.
“History has proved that the Selangor sultanate came from the Bugis ancestry who were warriors and had fought and defended religion and peace across the Malay archipelago.
“Dr Mahathir as former premier who had governed the country for the past 22 years should have been more cautious about his remarks,” said the statement.
It also said that he should have been more knowledgeable about historical facts of the Bugis community.
Sultan Sharafuddin also reminded all parties especially politicians to refrain from using racial and ancestry issues as a political tool as it could threaten the harmony and unity of the country.
– Malay Mail
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