Chua: Johor Sultan banners put up to 'ambush' royal entourage

Johor PKR liaision chief Chua Jui Meng says banners with his image and that of the Sultan of Johor were put up to provoke the sultan's anger against the opposition party.

Yesterday, several local dailies ran reports on banners portraying Chua, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and the Sultan with the caption, “Johor PKR fully Supports Datuk Seri Chua Jui Meng as Johor PKR Chairman and candidate for Johor MB”, appearing in the state.

Chua said similar banners and posters have been put up along the route that the Kembara Mahkota Johor (Royal Johor Entourage), which the sultan himself led on his motorcycle, took from Aug 7 to 9 in Batu Pahat.

The Kembara Mahkota Johor is a tour traditionally taken by the Johor ruler to meet the rakyat. The previous sultan was well known for such trips, in a train locomotive that he drove himself.

Chua said irresponsible parties, who tried to imply that he was PKR's candidate for Johor menteri besar, had gone a step further in trying to anger the sultan, by trying to make him see the banners.

"They want the sultan and the Malays to be angry with PKR, with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and with me as the state chairman.

"Statement recorded

Chua (right) said that as a lawyer he knew fully well that a non-Malay could not be the menteri besar in the Malay states, and that this was in the federal constitution.

“We (PKR) will not do something that would damage us.”

He told this to reporters in Bukit Antarabangsa, after giving his statement to a senior police officer from the Batu Pahat police district headquarters.

"He took my statement on the banners. He said clearly that I am just a witness, and that 40 police reports have been received about the banners.

"I also lodged a report with him on the banners and also about the Pakatan ceramah in Rengit, which was prevented from taking place by the FRU and police."

The former federal minister met with the police officer for more than two hours, from 11.30am until 2pm, accompanied by his lawyer Sankara Nair.

'Obvious mistakes'

Chua also pointed out to the police several errors in the banners, which he said proved that they did not originate from PKR.

“First of all, the banner says 'PKR' when referring to the party. When we refer to our party, we use the term Keadilan.”

“Secondly, the banner referred to me as Datuk Seri. How can I be Datuk Seri when I have returned the award? Even before that, I have always referred to myself as Datuk, never Datuk Seri.”

He argued that PKR members knew this and would not make such obvious mistakes.

“I categorically deny that PKR is involved in this sham. Only Umno has the motive to do such a dastardly and devious deed," he added.

Chua contends that Umno was afraid of Pakatan's headway in Johor, which was once an Umno stronghold, and was therefore resorting to desperate measures to try and maintain its stranglehold.

He also said that as a loyal subject of the Johor sultan, he hoped all parties would stop trying to drag the ruler into their politicking. He also urged the police to get those responsible for the posters and take appropriate action against them.

courtesy of Malaysiakini