Dr Mahathir Mohamad has always been regarded as an ultra Malay, including by his current allies in Pakatan Harapan.

In 2010, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang had described the former premier as “the number one racist in Malaysia” after Mahathir warned that the Malays would lose power if the opposition defeated BN.

Therefore, it came as a surprise when Mahathir, who now heads the opposition coalition, declared that he does not believe in “ketuanan Melayu (Malay hegemony).”

However, pro-Umno portal MyKMU.net described this as another 180-degree spin by the 92-year-old politician, done with the aim of attracting non-Malay votes.