KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today denied his remarks about the previous Yang diPertuan Agong during the Nenggiri campaign was intended to mock the royalty.

In a statement after dozens of police reports were lodged against him over his comments about Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Muhyiddin said his remark that he was not invited to form the government after the 15th general election despite having the support of 115 federal lawmakers was true.

"I would like to emphasise that my speech in Nenggiri was a factual statement that was not intended to insult the institution of the monarchy or contain any seditious tendency.

"I believe that my remark did not violate any national laws. I will fully cooperate with the police to clarify the facts related to my remark,” he said.

In a video circulating online, Muhyiddin could be heard saying he had the support of 115 MPs after GE15 but was not invited to form the government, before asking the crowd who the Agong was at the time.

Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional coalition won 74 seats in GE15.

As no single party or coalition won the election outright, Al-Sultan Abdullah eventually appointed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister after the latter cobbled together a unity coalition of all Malaysian parties outside of PN.

Earlier today, Pahang Crown Prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah said in a statement from the Pahang palace that Muhyiddin’s remarks were demeaning to his father, and urged the police to strictly apply the law in this matter.

Separately, Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman reportedly said 28 reports had been lodged against Muhyiddin as of yesterday over his remarks.