Nothing personal in Dr M-TMJ public spat, says Anwar

SANDAKAN: There is nothing personal in the escalating feud between Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The PKR president said Dr Mahathir merely intended to ensure that the spirit of the Federal Constitution was preserved.

"The issue is not personal. The PM wants to ensure the constitutional spirit is observed and I think we are with him on that," he said.

Anwar was speaking to reporters briefly during a walkabout at a Ramadan bazaar at Sandakan town on Tuesday (May 7).

On Monday (May 6), Dr Mahathir had called Tunku Ismail a "little boy who does not know anything", during a special interview with the media.

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.

The Johor Crown Prince had claimed the Johor royal family was a victim of "character assassination" and was being unfairly criticised over the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project.

Following Dr Mahathir's remarks, the Prime Minister's special media adviser Datuk A. Kadir Jasin called upon the authorities to probe taxes paid by Mados Sdn Bhd, a company believed to be linked to the Johor royalty.

Johor PKR chief Hassan Karim had also called for a truce between Dr Mahathir and TMJ, urging the two to make use of the holy month of Ramadan to put an end to their public spat.