KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — The younger brother of Johor’s crown prince has created a stir on Instagram with his caution that the southern state may secede from Malaysia.
In a post on the photo-sharing site Sunday, Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim issued a reminder that the Johor government had joined the Malay federation in 1946 on several conditions.
“If any of these conditions are violated, then Johor will secede from Malaysia,” Tunku Idris posted on his Instagram account @tunku_idris.
Among the conditions listed included making Islam the religion of the state, the state’s absolute right over water and land issues, and the state royal house to have its own armed forces.
It is unclear what prompted the Johor prince to make the post.
Tunku Idris’ older brother Tunku Ismail is embroiled in a public spat with Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz after the Umno minister reportedly told the Johor crown prince to stay out of politics or Putrajaya will “whack” him.
Tunku Ismail had commented on Facebook on June 5 about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s absence at the “Nothing to Hide” forum that was cancelled at the last minute before a confrontation between Najib and his harshest critic, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Some 2,000 people rallied outside the Johor palace yesterday in support of Tunku Ismail.
