"Those are his comparisons. That's his business, I don't care, he can say whatever he likes," Mahathir was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

But Mahathir nonetheless showed some irritation, emphasizing that many ethnic Malays held top posts in the country.

"This simply shows Malays are capable people. There are Malays who are 747 pilots and who hold other professional positions as well," Mahathir added.

In a speech Jan 21, Goh had praised the achievements of Malays in majority-Chinese Singapore and hit back at overseas claims the community had been marginalised.

Goh said that as of last year 25 percent of Singapore's Malay workforce had upper secondary or higher qualifications compared to 14 percent in Malaysia in 1998.

Goh acknowledged that Malaysia's Malays had proportionately more doctors, lawyers, millionaires and people holding top jobs in the public and private sector.

"But overall, our Singapore Malays fare well when compared with the Malaysian Malays," he said.

Malaysia's ethnic Malays, which make up two thirds of the country's population, have special constitutional rights and enjoy an affirmative action programme to narrow the wealth gap with the minority Chinese.