Johor will get worse if sultan allowed to intervene, says ex-JCorp chief
The direct involvement of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in Johor's administration will only worsen the current situation in the southern state, Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim said today.
The former president and chief executive officer of Johor Corporation (JCorp) told the Malaysia Gazette portal that matters in Johor have long been blighted by direct and indirect interference from the palace.
Muhammad Ali (pic) was voicing his concern over the proposed tabling of the Johor Housing and Real Property Board Bill 2014 in tomorrow's state legislative sitting.
If passed, the Bill will allow the sultan direct intervention in issues pertaining to administration in the state.
Muhammad Ali said he disagreed with the proposal by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamed Khaled Nordin to allow Sultan Ibrahim to intercede in state administrative affairs.
"This will also tarnish and damage the reputation of the Sultan and the royalty in the state," Muhammad Ali told Malaysia Gazette.
"As it is, Johoreans are already concerned at the manner in which land and wealth in the state are passing into foreign hands.
"Strategic companies which belong to the state are being held by selected individuals, without any thought for the long-term future of the public and the country.
"Mohamed Khaled's proposal will only worsen matters and it is not in the best interests of the rakyat of Johor, especially when there is direct intervention in land administrative issues or state government-linked corporations," he added.
Muhammad Ali said all these issues have sprung up because the leadership in the state was too weak to shoot down such an idea immediately.
"This is a non-issue which should never have been allowed to fester. The problem is that the political enforcers in Johor are too weak to defend the Federal Constitution," he said.
Recalling his experiences at JCorp, Muhammad Ali said the corporation was compromised by the state's political leaders on numerous occasions.
"The JCorp chairman at that time, even though he had full executive powers, was intimidated and scared to exercise his authority.
"He was more interested in obeying what he referred to as the edicts of the Sultan," Muhammad Ali said. – June 8 2014.
