KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar must stop interfering in the Johor state government to show the sincerity of his call today for civil discourse, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president said he appreciated the sultan’s gesture but added that the Johor palace must also admit to its role in the hostilities with Putrajaya, according to The Star.
“As a Johorean, as a federal minister in the Cabinet, this does not put me at ease at all.
“We must be bold enough. The sultan also has to agree that certain things have been done by him that created some feelings of uneasiness when it comes to matters of state.
“That has to stop. It is not that he cannot interfere in the management of the state, but interfering in the running of the governance of the state must not be continued,” he was quoted as saying.
He added the dispute did not involve personal sentiments, before advising Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal to meet with the sultan and lay out how the state should be governed from now on.
Earlier today, the sultan said he wants those involved in the recent disagreement between the Johor and federal governments to put aside their differences for the well-being of the people.
On Monday, Dr Sahruddin announced his new exco lineup that included three new names despite the federal Cabinet’s understanding that the previous officials would be retained despite the sultan’s demand for a reshuffle.
This caught Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by surprise as he publicly insisted the sultan had no say in the matter, just ahead of the Johor MB’s announcement.
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir also penned a personal blog entry that appeared to centre on the dispute in Johor, saying state constitutions that predate the Federal Constitution were effectively overwritten by the latter.
He said this meant state rulers should adhere to the winning party’s candidates for appointments rather than dictate their choices.
Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim responded by posting excerpts from the Federal Constitution to suggest otherwise.
