It is up the people of Johor - not the prime minister or the Yang Dipertuan Agong - whether or not Johor should secede from Malaysia, said the former editor of the Malay Mail, Ahirudin Attan.

Ahirudin added he has yet to meet any Johorean who wants to see this happen.

The former editor said this in response to a Facebook post from Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim last Wednesday, where his majesty remarked that those who were jealous of the state, should ask the prime minister to remove Johor from Malaysia.

Ahirudin said he found Tunku Ismail’s remarks both funny and disturbing at the same time.

“Well, it is not really up to Prime Minister Najib Razak to kick Johor out of this beloved country, even if the prime minister agrees with those jealous critics of Bangsa Johor.

“Neither is it up the Yang Dipertuan Agong, a position the (crown prince) would one day assume, God willing.

“The ones to decide will be the people. The Johoreans. And I have not met a single Johorean who wants his state to be axed from his country, Malaysia, even after the (crown prince’s) posting.

“Maybe I need to linger near the palaces to find one!” he said in a posting on his blog Rocky’s Bru today.

Previously, Tunku Ismail listed a slew of reasons for which people have expressed disdain for Johor, and said Johor should not be blamed for it.

“Don’t blame Johor. You can all march down to Putrajaya and propose to the prime minister to remove the state of Johor from Malaysia,” he declared.