KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim denied today having any political bias, after issuing a statement that appeared to support Barisan Nasional (BN) in the election.
Tunku Ismail said he has previously spoken out on issues involving Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“I am not on anyone’s side and I am not supporting anyone. I only disagree when a person who had a crisis with Johor in the past tries to take over Johor! Because this is my state.
“A state my father, grandfather and ancestors have protected whenever there is a crisis. Is it that easy for the people to forget about those crises?” Tunku Ismail said in a statement posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page today.
The Johor crown prince also told outsiders not to intervene in matters related to the southern state.
“The majority of them, when we investigated, came from outside.
“Whatever happens to Malaysia is your problem. Whatever decisions I feel are the best for Johor are between my people and me,” he said.
In a statement last night on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page, Tunku Ismail launched a thinly-veiled attack on former prime minister Dr Mahathir, without naming him, and warned Johoreans not to be duped by a “forked-tongue” individual.
Tunku Ismail said Johor would never forget “the individual” who allegedly tried to disband the Johor Military Force and who wanted to strip the royal institution of its powers, belittling the Johor state constitution that existed before the inception of Malaysia.
He also said changing a country’s fate and improving the system was not by bringing down a government, but by changing it from within.
“Don’t change the boat if the engine is not broken, don’t even change the skipper but allow HM The Sultan of Johor and I to guide the skipper for you,” Tunku Ismail wrote.
However, the top comments on the Facebook post disagreed with the Johor crown prince, with Malaysians saying they were suffering and they would vote against BN.
