The High Court was told today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had often criticised former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the last few months before his dismissal as deputy prime minister in 1998.

Lenggeng assemblyman Datuk Ishak Ismail, 65, said Anwar would not criticise him (Mahathir) openly in public, but only when with his close friends.

"Anwar will criticise Mahathir regarding the government's policies and even about Dr Mahathir's race.

"He (Anwar) always referred to Dr Mahathir as 'an untrustworthy Mamak (Indian Muslim)'. The word 'mamak' I consider it as offensive and insulting," he said when questioned by lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is leading the defence team.

To further question by the lawyer, Ishak said he felt the words 'untrustworthy Mamak' arose due to Dr Mahathir doing something bad to Anwar.

Ishak, the defence's seventh witness, was testifying on the fourth day of the trial of a RM100-million defamation suit filed by Anwar, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for sodomy, against Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Ishak, who is also the Seremban UMNO division chief, said several months before Anwar was sacked from the Cabinet, he often supported and encouraged him (Ishak) to criticise Dr Mahathir.

Anwar, who later became opposition after being sacked as deputy prime minister and UMNO deputy president, had even offered him 'bullets' to be use against Mahathir, he said.

When questioned by Anwar's lawyer Latheefa Koya what 'bullets' meant, he said they were issues which could be used to attack someone.

"Anwar would often raise topics to criticise Dr Mahathir and Anwar's close allies would also join in," he said.

Ishak said Anwar's conversations in public differed from his private ones.

On March 7, 2008, Anwar filed the suit against Khairy and demanded RM100 million in damages, claiming that Khairy had uttered defamatory words about him in a talk in Lembah Pantai, here on Feb 20, 2008.

Khairy was vice head of UMNO Youth then.

Anwar claimed that the defamatory words and a video clip entitled 'Anwar and kin no threat' was uploaded on several websites including Malaysiakini.

The hearing before Judicial Commissioner Azizul Azmi Adnan resumes on Dec 13. -Bernama