Commenting on the Selangor police opening two investigation papers into the matter, Mahathir said it was their duty to do so.

“They have to open the investigation papers. It is their job.

“If they call me in, then I will have to go,” he told reporters after speaking at a 90-minute dialogue titled “The Nature of Leadership in Our Digital Future” at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.

Mahathir was alleged to have sullied Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Indonesian ancestry by comparing him to Bugis pirates in two political speeches last month.

His remarks reportedly angered the Bugis people in Indonesia, resulting in the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta increasing security at its premises.

On Oct 20, the embassy received a memorandum from the Indonesian Makassar Bugis Youth Association stating its anger over Mahathir’s remarks.

Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who is of Bugis descent, also joined those calling for Mahathir to apologise.

The Selangor Royal Court meanwhile said Mahathir had compared the Bugis with pirates, criminals and robbers.

“The verbal attacks have indirectly demeaned the history and heritage of the Selangor sultanate, which is descended from the Bugis,” the palace said in a statement.

However, Mahathir maintains that he had never said anything against the Bugis or Jusuf Kalla.