KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad made a statement today to defend the Facebook posts he published last month.
He asserted that these posts were based on the Federal Constitution and factual information.
As reported by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), two reports were lodged against Dr Mahathir's Facebook posts, leading to the police summoning him to provide a statement for ongoing investigations.
On July 27, Dr Mahathir made two Facebook posts, one of which argued that Malaysia should primarily be recognised as a Malay country rather than a multiracial one.
He addressed this matter after his statement was recorded by the police today.
"The post is based on the Federal Constitution, which designates Malaysia as Tanah Melayu (land of the Malays)," he explained during a press conference at Yayasan Albukhary in Kuala Lumpur.
When questioned by the police about his statement, Dr Mahathir responded that he would address the matter in court if charged.
He pointed out that discussing "Tanah Melayu" is deemed racist, preventing him from elaborating on the Constitution.
Dr Mahathir also alleged that there is a "double standard" in the government's application of the law and its handling of this case.