Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad has apologised for using the term "keling", which is considered derogatory to Indian Malaysians.

"I did not mean to insult anybody. When I was a small boy I used that word, but now it is considered derogatory.

"I apologise if I caused any problems for them," the former prime minister told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

Mahathir had used the word while riling against the Election Commission during a fundraising event in Johor last Saturday.

"I want to use a 'keling' word. The 'keling' say 'podah' (get lost)," Mahathir said at the event.

Since then, various groups and activists have told him to apologise and Makkal Sakti Malaysia reportedly lodged four police reports against Mahathir over the use of the ethnic slur.

Others who have complained include former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, Penang caretaker Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, MIC treasurer-general S Vell Paari and the Malaysia Hindu Sangam.

Mahathir had previously taken an unapologetic stance towards these complaints, saying that his Indian Malaysian friends never scolded him for the use of the term.

Meanwhile, Mahathir also clarified his remarks on Sabah, saying that he had never accused the people of Sabah as being lazy.

“That is what Utusan said, not me. I would be crazy to say that if I want them to support the party during an election. That is not true at all.

“What I did say was that the leaders, especially of Sabah, are very greedy. That is why they have stolen some money from the government,” Mahathir told the press conference.

During a forum in Putrajaya on the economy on April 1, Mahathir was asked to comment on the wealth gap between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

He responded that Sabah and Sarawak should have developed their industries, but have instead ‘taken the easy way out’ by logging trees and planting oil palm.