INDONESIAN Vice-President Jusuf Kalla wants Dr Mahathir Mohamad to apologise over a statement linking the Bugis to pirates.

The Antara news agency reported Jusuf as saying the statement by the former prime minister was not only insulting to the Bugis community in Malaysia, but also those in Indonesia.

“Firstly, as a Bugis person, I protest against it and am shocked (by the statement).

“Dr Mahathir should apologise. The Bugis are not just in South Sulawesi, but throughout Indonesia, and also in Malaysia,” he was quoted as saying in Jakarta today.

In his speech at a rally in Petaling Jaya on October 14, Dr Mahathir allegedly linked Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ancestors to “Bugis pirates”.

Yesterday, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said as part of his responsibility to preserve harmony between the two countries, he had taken the initiative to send a letter to Dr Mahathir on October 23, urging him to take the necessary steps to clear the air between Malaysia and Indonesia.

However, he said, in a letter dated November 1, Dr Mahathir did not only not apologise, but continued to slander Najib.

Dr Mahathir’s remarks have upset the Bugis community in Indonesia, resulting in the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta boosting security at its premises.

On October 20, the embassy received a memorandum from the Indonesian Makassar Bugis Youth Association, expressing anger at Dr Mahathir’s statement. – Bernama, November 7, 2017.