CAN THE ECONOMY IMPROVE IF SOME ROYALS KEEP UNDERMINING THE GOVT? ANWAR TELLS ROYALS TO RESPECT THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE – WHILE SHALLOW KHAIRY SIMPLY PIPES UP ‘FOCUS ON ECONOMY, NOT BICKER WITH ROYALS’: THE ISSUE IS WILL KHAIRY’S UMNO & SOME ROYALS ALLOW PAKATAN TO GET ON WITH THEIR JOB – OR TRY THEIR BEST TO CREATE STUMBLING BLOCKS?

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has strongly backed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his recent spat with the Johor royalty.

Anwar said Mahathir was right and has given a clear message that the Federal Constitution must be honoured.

“He represents the government with the new mandate, we need to respect that,” Anwar said when met in Bayan Baru today.

Asked if the move by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (photo, below) amounted to “royal intervention” on government matters, Anwar said: “Yes”.

“That is why we reinforce our position, the PM is guided by the principles of the constitution. He has been given the task to comply with it, and we must ensure that he does the task effectively,” he added.

Earlier, in Permatang Pauh, Anwar said the verbal squabble between Mahathir and the royal house was not good for the economy.

He said the royals may criticise but they would only invite brickbats when doing so.

“It is our duty to advise all, including the royal household, the aspect of having the peoples’ mandate.”

The controversy between Mahathir and the royalty came in the wake of the prime minister claiming that the state constitutions of Johor and Terengannu were “nullified” following the formation of the Federation of Malaya.

Tunku Ismail recently said the prime minister should be changed, and his remark elicited a barrage of criticisms against him.  – MKINI

Khairy: Better to prioritise the economy than argue with royals

SHAH ALAM — Pakatan Harapan (PH) should focus on the economy and public welfare instead of bickering with royalty, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

“Sometimes, the government is distracted by various issues which in reality bring no benefit,” the Rembau MP told reporters following a Bicara Minda session with Karangkraf.

He said one example of this is the dispute with the royal institution, which Khairy said will not bring about any positive impact.

“That will not help the rakyat’s economy. So I think Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s advice is good.

“Right now, there is much focus on issues that can either be resolved later on, or need not be made a big deal to begin with. It is as though the rakyat’s prosperity has been forgotten about,” he said.

Khairy was referring to the PKR president’s admonition on Saturday to Perak DAP committee member Nga Hock Cheh, who had proposed in the Dewan Negara recently to drop one’s religious status on the identity card. A Muslim’s faith is printed as Islam on the MyKad, but non-Muslims’ religious status is not stated on the physical document.

Anwar said the issue brought up by Nga was not a priority as there were other more pressing issues at hand that should be prioritised, such as those related to the country’s economic problems.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has recently been embroiled in a public disagreement with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail, first over the issue of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and subsequently the resignation of former Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian. – malay mail

MKINI / MALAY MAIL