KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Police are expected to record the statement of former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his recent remarks questioning the loyalty of ethnic Indians and ethnic Chinese to Malaysia.

The recording will be done at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya at 11am, his lawyer told The New Straits Times yesterday.

"Yes, it’s true at 11am tomorrow,” Rafique Rashid Ali was quoted as saying.

An aide to Dr Mahathir later said in a text message to reporters that the politician will be meeting the police at 3pm instead.

"As a matter of information in response to queries we have received... Dr M will be giving a statement to the police today, Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024, at the Perdana Leadership Foundation at 3pm,” the media statement read.

The 98-year-old’s controversial remarks were reported to have been made during an interview with a south Indian TV channel called Thanthi TV.

He reportedly said that non-Malay Malaysians should assimilate into Malay culture and become Malay if they wanted to claim the country as theirs.

Several police reports were made against Dr Mahathir over these comments, including from Hulu Langat PAS’ non-Muslim wing.

PKR had also lodged over 50 police reports on the matter, news portal Free Malaysia Today reported last week.