Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar today said the police will not be arresting former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Instead, he said police will make an appointment with him to see when it was most convenient for them to talk to him.

"I did not say we will arrest him. I only said that we have received reports from Umno and we that we will be investigating these based on our standard operating procedure," Khalid told reporters in Penang.

Khalid said this was normal police procedure adding police will not be asking Mahathir to turn up at Bukit Aman for questioning.

"We will send our officer to make an appointment with him […]

Mahathir is a much respected statesman and we have to give him the necessary respect," he added.

Khalid was responding to Mahathir's statement earlier today in which he said police could go ahead and arrest him for attending the recent Bersih 4 protest rally.

Speaking to reporters at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport in Subang upon his return from the Czech Republic, Mahathir maintained the claim he made during the rally that Umno division leaders had been bribed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was true.

Mahathir said this when asked regarding Khalid's statement that he would be investigated for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code for remarks he made in a speech during the mammoth Bersih 4 rally on Aug 29 and 30.

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