FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was not ashamed of his Indian ancestry but emphasised that this does not change the fact that he is a Malay.
“I’m not ashamed to say I have some Indian blood, but that does not mean that I’m not a Malay,” the 99-year-old told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Dr Mahathir said this during proceedings of his defamation suit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who he is suing over the allegation regarding an identity card (IC) bearing the name “Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty”.
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir told the court that his late father Mohamad bin Iskandar was from Penang and was a Malay, with ancestors who had roots in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
“I am not ashamed to say that I have Indian blood, but that does not mean that I am not a Malay. I am a Malay from Penang, and not Jawi Peranakan,” he said under cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyer Mohd Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman.
He said the word “Iskandar” in his father’s name refers to his grandfather’s name “Iskandar”.
“I do not know if my grandfather or great-grandfather came from Kerala in India, as there are no records on this.
“I have also never discussed this with his father and my father never told me about his father’s past,” he said.
In his lawsuit filed on July 20, 2022 at the high court in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Mahathir said he wants the court to order Zahid to pay compensation and to make an unconditional apology. He is also seeking a court order to stop Zahid from repeating the allegedly defamatory remarks.
Dr Mahathir claimed that Zahid’s statements depicted him as an opportunist who claimed to be Malay for personal and political gain.
He also claimed that the deputy prime minister had a skewed view of the Indian community.
He said his status as a statesman and an influential political figure in the eyes of the world was also skewed as a result. – August 27, 2024
