Johor secession: Will police investigate Johor prince?
Astro Awani
June 20, 2015 12:56 MYT
June 20, 2015 12:56 MYT
Will the police question Johor prince for his Johor secession upload on Instagram?
Questions are being asked if Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar will investigate Johor price Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim under the Sedition Act 1948 for his Johor secession upload on Instagram.
The prince had uploaded a photo of the 1946 Johor state’s agreement with the Federation of Tanah Melayu, which touches on its right to secede from Malaysia.
Constitutional expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said those who spoke about secession should be investigated under the Sedition Act 1948, regardless of who they are.
In an interview with Malaysiakini, he said the Attorney General and police should make a stand if the prince and violated any law, in particular the Sedition Act for his upload.
"Only nine Sultans enjoy legal impunity. The Johor prince does not have this privilege," he told the news portal.
The government had acted swiftly against the nine individuals who had spoken out on Sabah secession earlier this year. Four of them were charged under the Sedition Act.
Khalid had warned earlier that the police will not hesitate to take action against any party pushing for secession.
The 1946 agreement, signed by the late Sultan Abu stated that the agreement was inked after several conditions set by the state government.
The agreement also stated that Johor will leave Malaysia if any of its conditions are not met.
Among the conditions are Islam as the official religion of the state, land and water being the absolute right of the Johor government and no interference its state laws.
The post came following the ugly spat between Tunku Idris elder brother, Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail and Culture and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
Nazri had earned the ire of TMJ after he advised the royal to stay out of politics following his comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the premier's no-show during the #Nothing2Hide "PM's Dialogue With NGOs" forum earlier this month.
However, Universiti Malaysia Perlis’s Raja Malaysia Institutional Research Centre director Prof Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam the agreement became null and void after Merdeka.
She said all agreements inked during the British colonial period are considered void automatically after Aug 31, 1957.