Lawyer Kamal Hisham Jaafar who last week urged Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to abdicate his throne if he wanted to participate in politics was this morning arrested by Singapore police.

However, Johor police chief Rusli Ahmad said the lawyer, who was legal advisor to the late Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail was arrested due to a fraud case amounting to RM660,000.

"He was said to have arrived at Changi International Airport via a flight from the Middle East at about 8pm on Tuesday.

"Through the court order obtained, we will bring the suspect to the state for further investigation," Bernama reported him as saying, without disclosing the lawyer's name.

He said an Interpol warrant was issued against Kamal Hisham.

Kamal Hisham’s sister Norlizan Jaafar told Malaysiakini her brother was arrested at the hotel he was staying at on Victoria Street at about 10.30am.

"We don’t know where he is now, the police have not informed us. I believe he is not guilty and is wrongly persecuted by those with an agenda," she said.

Kamal Hisham resides in Dubai and was in Singapore on a work trip, she said.

This is also not the first time he has travelled to Singapore from Dubai, she added.

Fraud and death threats

He is reportedly accused of swindling RM660,000 from a Johor-based firm linked to the Johor palace.

He left Malaysia in 2011 following a police report from the company.

In 2012, he released a video on social media claiming that he received death threats.

In a online posting last week, he said the law does not allow a sitting monarch to be active in politics, and that a rakyat-friendly and charismatic man like the sultan will do well in politics.

"The same goes if the sultan is too active or keen to be a businessman. He should then step down from his throne and focus on business. Pass the throne to the crown prince.

"Then he can compete fairly and openly lobby for contracts, especially from the government and government-linked companies," Kamal Hisham wrote.

He added that it is easy to build a business empire if one has power or influence.

"Loyalty comes with conditions and disloyalty must come with a reason," he said.