POLICE will definitely call up Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his remarks that allegedly insulted the Bugis community, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said today. 

Fuzi did not say when the Pakatan Harapan chairman would be called up, but said it was a certainty that he would be called up to record his statement.

“It depends on the investigation officer, but we will definitely call him up. 

“You must give us time,” he told a press conference in Seberang Jaya, Penang, today.

During the “Love Malaysia, end kleptocracy” rally in Petaling Jaya on October 14, Dr Mahathir slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak as a descendent of a “Bugis pirate”.

The Selangor royal court on November 2 released a statement saying that the sultan was enraged and disappointed with Dr Mahathir’s speech, and urged the police to investigate the Pakatan Harapan chairman for allegedly inciting hatred for the Bugis.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor has also expressed his disappointment at Dr Mahathir for the remark.

More recently, the ruler told The Star in an interview that Dr Mahathir had an inferiority complex and that his anger would “burn the country”.

Fuzi confirmed that DAP politician Zaid Ibrahim, who last week tweeted that Sultan Sharafuddin should be careful about what he said following the ruler’s comments about Dr Mahathir, would be giving his statement in Bukit Aman tomorrow. 

“The investigation is under Section 4 of the Sedition Act,” Fuzi said. 

Meanwhile, on the progress of the investigation progress into Bank Negara Malaysia’s forex losses scandal, Fuzi said the task force set up to look into the case was “working around the clock”. 

“It is ongoing. It is not so easy because so many people will be called to give their statements. 

“Whatever needs to be done will be done as soon as possible,” said the police chief, who was in Penang for the closing of the national Auxiliary Police Conference. 

Late last month, the royal commission of inquiry into the central bank’s forex trading activities in the 1990s submitted a 400-page report calling the police to investigate Dr Mahathir, former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, the BNM board of directors, the National Audit Department, and the Finance Ministry.
 
“The commission is of the opinion from the facts that have been given it that there is basis to recommend that the police officially investigate  the possibility of criminal breach of trust and fraud by BNM staff, the National Audit Department, minister of finance and prime minister in hiding the forex losses from the knowledge of the Cabinet and Parliament,” it said.

Following the submission of the RCI report and recommendations, commission secretary Dr Yusof Ismail, who is also the Finance Ministry’s strategic investment division secretary, lodged a police report. 

It led the police to form a special team headed by Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Amar Singh Ishar Singh to look into the case.  – December 12, 2017.