KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has come under fire from none other than the Sultan of Johor over the former’s criticism of the ‘Bangsa Johor’ concept.
In its report today, The Star quoted Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar as saying that Dr Mahathir’s claim that the concept could disunite the people reflected the former prime minister’s “complete ignorance” of Johor’s history.
“My great-grandfather Sultan Sir Ibrahim in 1920 made the clarion call Bangsa Johor to unite the various races in Johor under one flag for greater cooperation, harmony and peaceful existence. No race or individual was marginalised. He has been proven correct.
“The Bangsa Johor concept was initiated even before Tun Mahathir was born. He has no idea of what he is talking about,” the Sultan was quoted as saying.
The Sultan said Dr Mahathir was “not qualified” to talk about unity.
“He is going around dividing the people including the Malays, while I am uniting Malaysians of all races including the Malays,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, said the Sultan, should appreciate that each state enjoys its own unique trait or pride, but that does not necessarily mean that they were leaving the Federation.
The Sultan said Dr Mahathir should “keep his mouth shut.”
“It is a figment of Dr Mahathir’s imagination. He is stirring the hornet’s nest and my advice to him is to keep his mouth shut,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
Dr Mahathir, he said, had garnered a reputation for being confrontational and for having sparked division, especially with regards to his foreign relations policy.
The Sultan cited Dr Mahathir’s quarrel with Singapore, among other world leaders, as having put Malaysia in a spot.
“And now he talks about unity with an incredibly straight face.
“Tun Mahathir is the root cause of the present problems in the country. He has no right to interfere in my state. I will not tolerate his antics,” the Sultan was quoted as saying.
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir, at the 20th Perdana Dialogue Series themed “Federal-States Relations” at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, had commented on the Bangsa Johor concept.
Dr Mahathir had said that unity among Malaysians could wane if too much parochialism is practised.
He had said that while Johor has a right to promote the ‘Bangsa Johor’ concept, what should instead be propagated is for the people to identify themselves as Malaysians instead of from their home states.