KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had his statement taken by the police again this morning, this time over a remark he allegedly made about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada during the recent Kuala Kangsar by-election.
The former prime minister had his statement taken at the Perdana Foundation, according to his aide.
“Remark on Idi amin at Kuala Kangsar campaign,” the aide told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
It is believed that Dr Mahathir had likened Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Idi Amin, who is also known as the “Butcher of Uganda”
Idi Amin was Uganda’s president for eight years in the 1970s and is best known for leading a violent regime that saw the killing of tens of thousands of people.
Dr Mahathir's lead counsel Mohamad Haniff Khatri Abdulla when contacted later said the police did not state under which section the nonagenarian was being investigated.
He added that the interview went on for an hour and that Dr Mahathir was posed about 30 questions on the speech he made while on the campaign trail.
Dr Mahathir had openly campaigned for Pakatan Harapan during the recently concluded by-elections in both Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar, claiming the contests would be the people's referendum on Najib’s leadership.
During one of his speeches in Kuala Kangsar, Dr Mahathir was alleged to have likened Najib with Idi Amin.
After Barisan Nasional's (BN) Budiman Mohd Zohdi won the Sungai Besar seat, Najib in his party's victory speech acknowledged that Dr Mahathir had referred to him as Idi Amin.
“He said I am the Idi Amin of Malaysia. Well, the Idi Amin of Malaysia is more popular,” Najib said on June 19 at the Sungai Besar Umno headquarters.
Dr Mahathir is currently under several police investigations, including one over his recent suggestion that the Malay rulers may be under house arrest.
