Outspoken Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Tunku Ibrahim has made clear he would be willing to steer his state out of Malaysia if the terms and conditions that bind it to the Federation are not met.
Speaking to football portal FourthOfficial.com, Tunku Ibrahim spoke mostly about his passion for the Johor Southern Tigers, but his most eyebrow-raising comments were about Johor and its future within the Malaysian Federation.
Asked about his reputation for making bold statements in defence of Johor and his criticisms of elected leaders in Putrajaya, Tunku Ismail said, “I am going to be the future Sultan of this state and my main responsibility goes towards the people of Johor. Malaysia is important to me, but Johor and JDT will always come first.”
He added that the Johor royal family does not condone nor endorse the perceived shortcomings of the current government, and said that outright secession from Malaysia was not off the table should dissatisfaction rise.
“People deserve to know, that the mess we have in the country right now, should in no way be associated to the Johor royal family. Over the years, we’ve always been strong and independent as well as resourceful.
“In fact, we only joined the Federation of Malaya, upon both parties agreeing to several basic terms. And if any one of those terms are breached, we have every right to secede from this country.
“You can accuse me of instigating state-based sentiments, but to me, I’m merely doing my duty to the people of Johor, and reminding them of the history and heritage behind this great land.”
Tunku Ismail has of late been very vocal about his feelings on Malaysian political leadership, taking to social media to post not-so-subtle snipes at Prime Minister Najib Razak, his handling of the 1MDB scandals, and the PM’s wavering commitment to engage with the rakyat.
The crown prince was also engaged in a highly public spat with Tourism Minister and UMNO veteran Nazri Aziz over the comments Tunku Ismail had made against the ruling political coalition.
