Shukri, the Perlis PAS chief, said Mahathir should continue serving as the unofficial adviser to the four state governments led by PAS, dubbed the SG4.

He added that the 98-year-old’s experience in government and leading the country could benefit Perlis, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

“He still can (serve in the role), it’s fine for him to be an adviser. He has such an extensive network and many friends,” the Sanglang assemblyman told FMT.

However, he declined to comment on the former Langkawi MP’s claim that Malaysian Indians and Chinese were not loyal to the nation as they still identified with their countries of origin.

In a recent interview with Chennai-based Thanthi TV, Mahathir claimed that Malaysian Chinese and Indians were different from “the original people who founded the country” as they did not speak Bahasa Melayu and had their own schools and culture.

When the host noted that apart from speaking Tamil, Malaysian Indians also spoke Malay and were committed to Malaysia, Mahathir replied: “Malaysian Indians do not speak Malay as their home language. They speak Tamil.”

Mahathir, a former chairman of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan, also called the Chinese and Indians “migrants”, saying they could not therefore claim that Malaysia belonged to them.

He added that they should assimilate Malay culture and become Malay if they wanted to claim the country was theirs.

Political analysts had warned PN of a possible backlash from non-Malay voters if it did not cut ties with Mahathir over his remarks.