WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO JOHOR SULTAN? ‘WHEN NAJIB SACKED ME, YOU WERE ANGRY WITH HIM. BUT WHEN I CRITICIZE FOREST CITY, YOU U-TURN ON ME’ – MUHYIDDIN

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Muhyiddin Yassin has defended his track record as the former Johor menteri besar, after an apparent rebuke from the state’s ruler.

In an open letter published on his official Facebook page today, he said he had been accused of being arrogant only after he was sacked from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cabinet, but all he had done was to protect to people and the country’s interests.

He said if he is to be accused of being arrogant for doing so, then the people should be the judge.

“I have been accused of being proud and arrogant after I criticised the sale of freehold land in Forest City to foreign nationals in order to defend national and state sovereignty.

“What I have done all this while is merely to defend the people and the country from the damage now being wrought by Najib.

“If I am proud and arrogant because I fight uphold truth and oppose this treachery to protect the interests of the rakyat and the country, then let the people judge,” he said, responding to the sultan’s speech yesterday.

Najib had previously denied freehold selling land to foreign nationals, saying that the properties were sold on a leasehold basis.

The sultan had praised the incumbent Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin’s administration as being more prosperous in the past, and claimed that the state government previously did not even have enough money to pay its civil servants.

His majesty also accused “two previous menteri besar” of being arrogant and only knew how to follow the federal government’s instructions.

‘We had a surplus’

Although the sultan did not mention names, Muhyiddin said he was compelled to respond openly to the sultan’s speech in order to clear his name, since the sultan’s remarks were widely seen to be aimed at him.

Before Khaled, the state’s administration was headed by Abdul Ghani Othman. Muhyiddin was menteri besar from 1986 until 1995.

In his letter today, Muhyiddin said Johor was never short on funds to pay its civil servants during his administration, and instead was enjoying a surplus.
The state’s economy also grew at an average annual rate of 6.7 percent between 1991 and 1995, while poverty rate was reduced from 9.8 percent to 3.1 percent.

Good relations with the central government headed by the then prime minister (now Bersatu chairperson) Dr Mahathir Mohamad also ensured that the state received many federal grants, Muhyiddin said, and he continued to pay attention to Johor’s development after becoming the deputy prime minister.

He added that when he was removed from the cabinet by Najib, Sultan Ibrahim had met him and expressed sympathy over his predicament.

He claimed that His Majesty was clearly angry with Najib for the sacking.

“When was I proud and arrogant?

“I was accused of being proud and arrogant when I am no longer in government after being sacked as deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president, for opposing Najib’s betrayal,” he lamented.

– M’kini