Selangor ruler: Dr M will burn the whole country with his anger

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has again criticised Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his ‘Bugis’ remark.

“He (Mahathir) is an angry man and will burn the whole country with his anger,” the ruler said, as reported by The Star today.

Sultan Sharafuddin had previously expressed displeasure over the former prime minister’s alleged comparison of the Bugis community with pirates during the Oct 14 anti-kleptocracy rally.

The sultan said he does not want to see politicians using sensitive issues such as race and religion for political gains, as doing so will only destroy the country.

“This is the concern of all the Malay rulers, all nine of us. We have often discussed this during the pre-council meetings that we hold before the Conference of Rulers.

“The rulers are very worried. Too many sensitive issues have been exploited for personal gain.

“Issues like these spread very fast on social media and it can divide our rakyat,” the Selangor ruler said.

Concerns over the eroding unity

The Malay rulers’ concern is why they issued a statement on Oct 10 about the public outcry over the Muslim-only laundrette in Muar, Johor, he said.

In that statement, the rulers had expressed concerns over the eroding unity and harmony in Malaysia, citing examples such as the Muar laundrette.

They had also said that all Muslims should prioritise being tolerant, moderate and inclusive when living in a multicultural society.

However, Sultan Sharafuddin said, he was disappointed that the Oct 10 statement of the the Malay rulers went unheeded, as Mahathir made his ‘Bugis’ remark only four days later.

In his previous rebuke of Mahathir, the sultan had also revealed that the Selangor Royal Council opined that the former prime minister’s remark warranted an investigation under the Sedition Act 1948.

Various parties have also lodged police reports against Mahathir on this matter.

Mahathir had later been reported as saying that not all Bugis are pirates and that his comments were only directed at “crooks who stole money”. -Mkini