Referring to Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Osman said the former prime minister had insulted the entire Bugis community when he described the people as pirates.
“We respect the statesman, we have never been anti-Tun M, he was a leader who had contributed to the nation’s growth, but it (the title) is not a licence for him to hurl insults.
“We do not want anyone to insult others on the grounds of race, especially the statesman, because this is a sensitive issue which could lead to racial tension and affect national harmony,” he told reporters after the Maruah Bugis Sabah Red 26 Assembly held at the Tawau Sports Complex here today.
The assembly, organised by the PKBS and the Rumpun Bugis Semalaysia (PRBS), was attended by about 5,000 members of the Bugis community in Sabah and Labuan.
The assembly called for an apology from Mahathir on the matter.
PRBS president Samsul Alang Hamzah said Mahathir had hurt the feelings of the Bugis people who were against racism.