Dr Mahathir Mohamad has come under fire for uttering the word “keling”, which is considered derogatory to Indians, when launching a broadside against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy said the incident was disappointing, but did not come as a surprise.

He also noted that while the origin of the word was not intended to be an insult, but in the modern context, it is used disparagingly against ethnic Indians.

“It is disappointing that it comes from a man who is starting a new party. Do you think Indians in Malaysia will support him when he does things like this?

“Anyway, he doesn’t care about the Indians, and the Indians don’t care about him,” he said.