Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla said this was because police reports had been made and investigations were taking place.

He was responding to the challenge thrown by the Barisan Nasional’s Eric See-To to Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders, especially those from the DAP, to speak up against the “Bugis pirate” remark made by Mahathir.

Calling Mahathir’s jibe “hate speech”, the BN strategic communications deputy director said the DAP would not have remained silent on the issue if the veteran statesman had made similar remarks about the Chinese.

Haniff said Eric should “shut his mouth up” and let the police conclude their investigations, adding that Mahathir had already confirmed that he would assist in the investigations, subject to his rights under the law.

“My client has also, way before the investigation, given his explanation, and is also awaiting the conclusion of the investigation,” he told FMT.

Haniff said if prosecuted, Mahathir would put up his defence as available in law.

The lawyer also took a swipe at BN members and leaders who were inconsistent in their statements.

“When it comes to police reports lodged against Najib and other government leaders, they will say ‘let the authorities do the job’, and that “a person is innocent until proven guilty’.

“But when it comes to allegations made against Mahathir or the opposition leaders, they sing the unwarranted tune of guilty until proven innocent,” he added.

Eric, in a statement yesterday, had said no ethnic group in Malaysia should ever be labelled as pirates, nor should they be asked to go back to where they came from.

“This is hate speech and PH leaders must speak up against any hate speech or risk losing the moral right to be called anti-racists,” he had said.

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

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 had also expressed unhappiness over Mahathir’s comments, saying he had compared the Bugis with pirates, criminals and robbers.

Mahathir has remained steadfast that he never insulted the Bugis or Jusuf Kalla. He maintains that he had only referred to Najib, not the entire community.