In a letter to Zahrain posted on PPBM’s Facebook page, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman said he understood that the ambassador’s job was to defend his country.
He added however that all Indonesians knew of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s alleged wrongdoings which he said had spoiled Malaysia’s name.
The former prime minister also reiterated that he had never said all Bugis people were pirates.
“I said Najib might be descended from Bugis pirates.
“Bugis pirates did exist in earlier times. There were also other groups, including the Malays, who became pirates. Today, there are pirates in the Melaka Straits,” he said in the letter dated Nov 1.
“He claims he is a Bugis warrior. Are the Bugis people proud of a crook saying he is of Bugis descent, let alone a Bugis warrior?”
Mahathir was alleged to have sullied Najib’s Indonesian ancestry by comparing him to Bugis pirates in two political speeches last month.
Najib had many times proclaimed that he was Bugis. The Bugis originate from South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Mahathir’s remarks were said to have angered the Bugis people in Indonesia, resulting in the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta increasing security at its premises.
On Tuesday, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla called on Mahathir to apologise for his comments, saying the PH chairman had insulted not only the Bugis community in Malaysia, but also that in Indonesia.
The Selangor Royal Court also expressed unhappiness with the veteran statesman’s remarks, saying he 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.
Mahathir however maintains that he never said anything against the Bugis, only Najib.
Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali has cleared Najib of any wrongdoing pertaining to 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation deposited in the prime minister’s personal bank accounts in 2013.