Dr M ups ante in spat with TMJ, calls him a ‘little boy’ and ‘stupid’

PUTRAJAYA: Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) is a “little boy who does not know anything”, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“I don’t want to comment on the Sultan of Johor (Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar). If I say anything, that is not good – it is not nice because he is the Sultan.

“This TMJ, he is a little boy,” said Dr Mahathir.

He was commenting on TMJ's lament that the good deeds of the Palace of Johor were not being given enough credit and that this had further ruffled the relationship between the government and the Johor royals.

“Well, he is stupid because he does not know what is happening. So, don’t talk. If you don’t know anything, don’t talk,” Dr Mahathir told the media at a group interview on May 6 held in conjunction with the upcoming first anniversary of Pakatan Harapan as the Federal Government.

TMJ had claimed the Johor royal family was a victim of “character assassination” and was being unfairly criticised over the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project.

In a series of tweets on Saturday (May 4), the Johor Crown Prince claimed that many of Sultan Ibrahim’s noble deeds were not brought to the attention of the public.

He first re-tweeted Sultan Ibrahim's statement about handing over a plot of land in Bukit Chagar to the government without any cost if it is involved in the RTS project.

“How much land has the Johor Sultan given to the people and the government until now?

“Millions have been given to the government. His Majesty managed to settle the government's debt in his second year as sultan.

“How many millions were given to foundations? News of his good deeds were not publicised.

“Land for mosques and temples. People going to haj pilgrimages? Thousands were aided by His Majesty. Donations to hospitals. No news,” he added in another tweet.

Tunku Ismail then added that “only the ‘bad news’ was brought to the public's attention”.