He said the idea came up when he test-drove a Proton car in Malaysia in February 2015 with visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, sitting beside him.

“I was no longer the prime minister then,” he said.

Mahathir was prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003. He became the prime minister for the second time on May 10 this year.

“I drove the car at a speed of 180km per hour on the Sepang race circuit. The president (Joko Widodo) did not complain at all (when the car was driven at that speed),” Mahathir said at a joint press conference with Jokowi in conjunction with his official visit to Indonesia.

Jokowi, who recalled the test-drive when he spoke earlier at the press conference, said he had no cause for concern.

“I was not afraid because the driver was Mahathir,” he said.