JOHOR Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar has expressed disappointment over the lack of federal funds for the state, saying that he felt as if Johor was treated like a “stepchild”.
In urging Putrajaya to allocate more funds to the state, the Johor Sultan pointed out that allocations for the southern state were “starkly disproportionate” to the RM13 bil that Johor contributed to the federal coffer on an annual basis.
Sultan Ibrahim said this when opening the Johor state assembly meeting at Bangunan Sultan Ismail on Thursday (June 16).
His Majesty also expressed unhappiness with the state of federal government buildings and facilities especially hospitals and immigration checkpoints.
“Federal-owned buildings such as Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital, Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex are not well maintained,” he was reported as saying by The Star.
“The Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Johor Bahru is also in need of upgrades of its services and comfort levels.
Sultan Ibrahim urged the Federal Government to immediately fulfil its promises to upgrade the North-South Expressway to six lanes, Senai-Desaru Expressway to four lanes and federal roads such as the Johor Bahru-Mersing route, which were riddled with potholes and posed a danger to road users.
“I feel that Johor is being treated like a stepchild, even though we are among the top contributors to the national economy,” His Majesty said.
“If this trend continues, Johoreans may agitate towards secession from Malaysia. Perhaps Johor can be more developed if we stand on our own.”
His Majesty also criticised Putrajaya’s decision to cancel drop its claim on Pulau Batu Puteh at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying that the decision impinged on the state’s sovereignty.
“The Federal Government did not consult Johor on this decision, even though this involves Johor sovereignty,” he pointed out, noting that it was a breach of the state’s rights under the federation agreement. – June 16, 2022
