Johor Palace and govt to ‘iron things out’

PETALING JAYA: The Federal Government is willing to meet with the Johor Palace to iron things out between them once and for all, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin, who is Home Affairs Minister and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president, said that the Johor Palace, state government and Federal Government must come to the table and discuss what needs to be done.

“I have said to His Majesty (Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar) that I want to see the relationship between the Federal Government and the state of Johor improve further. That means, there must be an effort by all parties. It is not good to see what is happening today. As a Johorean and a minister in the Cabinet, this doesn’t put me at ease at all,” said Muhyiddin.

He was speaking to the media after chairing a Bersatu Supreme Council meeting here, referring to the current tension between the government and the Johor Palace.

The tension has been brewing since Pakatan Harapan took over the Federal Government but it came to a boil over the appointment of the Johor mentri besar and then the appointment of the state executive council members.

The Johor Palace had been openly unhappy with the 1993 amendment in the Federal Constitution, led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was the fourth prime minister, which curtailed the legal immunity of the royalty.

In the past few months, Dr Mahathir had repeatedly said that it is the government of the day which decides who becomes the MB and the excos.

The Sultan, according to Dr Mahathir, is a constitutional monarch who will endorse the appointment in line with parliamentary democracy and the Federal Constitution.

On Monday night, Dr Mahathir allegedly threatened to resign after the newly-minted Johor Mentri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal announced new faces in the exco line-up, despite earlier orders not to change the old excos. There were allegations the palace had interfered in the choice of the line-up.

Dr Mahathir’s latest posting on his blog on Wednesday explaining the Federal Consti­tution’s stand on the powers of the Ruler on the appointment of the mentri besar has once again stirred the debate.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who opposed the view, had in response posted excerpts of the Federal Constitution on the rights and powers of Rulers on his Facebook page.

Things, however, took a turn yesterday when Sultan Ibrahim offered to have a mature discussion with the Federal Government to iron out any differences.

Muhyiddin, who was a former Johor MB and who had dealt with the Johor Ruler in changing the exco line-up, said that while he welcomes the “good gesture” of the Sultan, he said the Ruler should stop interfering in the governance of the state.

“It is not personal, it is as the Sultan has mentioned – an indication he is prepared to sit down. I suggest the MB (Sahruddin) and the state government discuss with the Ruler as to what needs to be done and (find out) which areas need to be resolved or cleared. Once and for all, we work as Malaysians and things can be settled.

“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 governance of the state must not be continued. I was frank with him (Sultan Ibrahim) the other day.

“What is important now is there are attempts for things to get better between us. It is a step that must be taken and we hope the federal level too welcomes this.

“After the MB finds out the issues that should be worked on, he can present it to the federal level before a face-to-face meeting is arranged between the representatives of the state and federal government and the (Johor) palace,” said Muhyiddin.

He said he will propose this to Dr Mahathir when he returns from China.

“Now, people know there is a problem. It is not nice to let the matter continue. There is dissatisfaction. If we come to a decision (during the meeting), that decision must be respected. The decision by the federal government on what can be allowed and what cannot be done must be respected and no one must go against the rules and laws,” said Muhyiddin.

He further said any debate on who has the right interpretation of the federal and state constitutions should be decided by the experts.

“We should not politicise the (interpretation of) laws,” said Muhyiddin.

He pointed out that experts must decide if the Federal Constitution supersedes state constitutions.

When contacted, Sahruddin said he will not comment on the issue for now.