The police have recorded Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz's statement over his remarks about Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

“It’s done. We have called him and he has given his statement (last week).

"We will be forwarding the investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) soon," inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar ( photo ) told reporters at Bukit Aman.

Nazri is being investigated under Section 505 of the Penal Code, which concerns making public statements conducing to public mischief.

This came after police reports were lodged against the minister for warning the crown prince not to meddle in politics or risk being whacked.

Upon conviction, the offence carries a penalty of up to two years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

On a related matter, Khalid was also asked about the crown prince’s younger brother Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim’s Instagram post on June 14.

However, the police chief declined to comment on the matter and urged members of the public not to raise it.

“It would be best if no one mentions this issue anymore because it is a sensitive issue. It seem to have subsided, so people better not raise the issue again and stoke fire with it. That’s enough,” he said.

Right to secession no longer applies

The prince had uploaded an image of a document on June 14, stating that in the purported 1946 agreement, Johor had joined Tanah Melayu conditionally.

It further adds that if these conditions - such as Islam being the official religion of the state, and land in Johor being the absolute right of the Johor government - are violated, then Johor would no longer be part of Malaysia.

The image was uploaded without comment from the prince, but netizens commenting on the post had broached on the issue of secession.

The image was initially taken down without explanation, but posted again on the following day.

Legal scholars had argued that the right to secession no longer applies under the current Federal Constitution, while constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari ( photo ) said the police and the AGC should make a stand whether Tunku Idris had broken the law.

This is in light of the police’s swift action against those who had called for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak, while the law only grants legal immunity to the nine rulers but not the princes.

Meanwhile, prior to the press conference, Khalid ( photo ) had officiated the launch of the digitally remastered version of the 1981 film ‘Bukit Kepong’, and witnessed the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the police and the entertainment company KRU International Sdn Bhd.

The high-definition remake of the classic by KRU will be screened in the run-up to the National Day celebrations in August, and part of the proceeds from the film will go to the Royal Malaysian Police Welfare Fund.

The movie is based on the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident, in which a small police unit had put up fierce resistance despite being outnumbered and ultimately defeated by communist insurgents.