FORMER prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was questioned by the police today over alleged sensitive statements on race, religion and royalty (3R) made during a “Malay Proclamation” meeting recently.

He was questioned by Bukit Aman Classified Crime Investigation Unit D5 at Yayasan Albukhary in Kuala Lumpur.

Also questioned by the police were former deputy foreign minister Marzuki Yahaya and Malay Proclamation secretariat chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain confirmed that all three had their statements taken by the police, the News Straits Times reported.

He, however, declined to give any further details on the interrogation process, which is believed to have started at 3pm and lasted for about half an hour.

A video shared in Dr Mahathir’s WhatsApp media group also confirmed that the trio had been called in for questioning.

Earlier in a Facebook post, Dr Mahathir said many have also questioned why he was so angry about the ban on talking about 3R issues.

“The government cannot ban anything unless it is related to national security.

“The ban on 3R is too general.  It is not clear why and how talking about 3R can cause danger to the country.

“What if I say ‘I am a Malay’? Does that threaten national security?”

Dr Mahathir said the ban was too general and the people were afraid of being blamed when they mentioned race, religion, and the king.  

“This is not healthy. People have the right to speak about their problems. 

“What is the point of elections if the people’s problems cannot be voiced by the people and by candidates who fight for the people?” – August 29, 2023.