JOHOR Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar today warned that he will not hesitate to dissolve the Johor State Assembly if assemblymen continued to engage in power struggles and threaten the state government.
“I will not entertain political games by assemblymen and risk destabilising my state and Government. If that occurs, then I will not hesitate to dissolve the State Assembly,” said His Majesty during the opening of the 14th Johor State Assembly at the Sultan Ismail Building in Kota Iskandar Puteri today (Aug 12).
“We don’t need politicians to represent the people if all they think about is themselves and not the interests and welfare of the rakyat.”
His Majesty also reminded assemblymen to fully utilise the current session to discuss and plan a clear course of action to help the rakyat and rebuild Johor’s economy.
“There is no need to bring up unnecessary motions to the House. Don’t be selfish. The rakyat are suffering, going hungry, losing their jobs and some are even fighting for their lives because of COVID-19.
“This is not the time to fight (for political power). Rather this is the time to unite and work together. Don’t look around to see what other politicians are up to, look at yourselves in the mirror instead,” stressed His Majesty.
The fourth session of the Johor state assembly is the first state assembly sitting to be held during the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
The state assembly sitting, which is scheduled for seven days until Aug 22, is seen as an important platform for the state government to clarify its action plan to restore the state’s economy, as well as to assist those affected by COVID-19.
Johor is under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government with 29 seats in the state assembly, while the Opposition has 27 seats.
The last session of the Johor State Assembly sitting was held from Nov 26 to Dec 6 last year, during which the Menteri Besar tabled the 2021 state budget. – Aug 12, 2021
