Telling the truth about history is not a crime - Dr Mahathir

SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has described his freedom of speech as not being part of the changes the government had promised.

This follows investigations carried out against him over his remarks on the history of Kedah and the Malay Proclamation.

"My answer to the most frequently asked questions is simple. If I am charged in court, I will answer then.

"In Malaya, with a government led by a Malay, the Malays cannot talk about their problems. This is racism," he said in a statement today.

At the same time, he emphasised that telling the truth about history was not a crime.

He said it needed to be proven if what he said was wrong.

"If it's not proven, then sending the police to question me is a form of intimidation," he said.

Last week, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) secretary, Datuk Noorsiah Saaduddin said that Dr Mahathir's statement was recorded to assist in the investigation into a statement insulting the royal institution and the Malay Proclamation.

Dr Mahathir's statement was recorded by Bukit Aman's Classified Crime Investigation Unit (D5) at Yayasan Albukhary.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

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