Busy Sunday for PM as he meets Johor sultan, Sabah leaders

It’s been a busy day for newly minted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is believed to be spending his first few days in office strengthening his political ties.

Following a special meeting earlier this morning on the cost of living, Anwar was granted an audience with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar (above) in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the matter further.

Anwar said he had explained the issue of the cost of living to the sultan, who was greatly concerned.

Several photos of the meeting were uploaded to both Sultan Ibrahim and Anwar’s official Facebook accounts.

Bernama reported that the meeting lasted for an hour.

Sultan Ibrahim is slated to be the next Agong in 2024.

Anwar yesterday also met with Johor Crown Prince Tengku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

The previous Pakatan Harapan administration did not have a good rapport with the sultan due to the strained relationship between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Johor palace.

It dates back to Mahathir's first tenure as premier during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail, the father of the present state ruler.

Sultan Iskandar was the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1984 to 1989, at a time when Mahathir was in power.

The late 1980s saw several controversial incidents involving the royalty, including those from Johor. It ultimately saw the Mahathir government amending the constitution to remove legal immunity for royals.

The tensions continued on during Mahathir’s second tenure as prime minister - this time under the Pakatan Harapan administration - where the former premier did not mince his words on the powers of constitutional monarchy interfering in political matters, frequently sparring with Tengku Ismail.

The Harapan government also reluctantly withdrew from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), no more than a month after inking the treaty.

The move came after objections by the opposition and some members of the royalty.

Sultan Ibrahim had also objected to the treaty, claiming it would violate the Federal Constitution as it would affect the monarch, Malay rights and the sanctity of Islam in Malaysia.

The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity when a country is unable or unwilling to prosecute perpetrators.

Agenda to empower Borneo

Later in the day, Anwar had meetings in Putrajaya with several Sabah leaders, including Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairperson Hajiji Noor.

The Sabah chief minister said his discussions with Anwar, which took place at the Prime Minister’s Office, centred around the agenda to empower Borneo.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate and pray that the government led by the prime minister can restore political stability for the sake of the country's prosperity and the well-being of the people,” he said in a Facebook post.

Also in attendance was Usno president Pandikar Amin Mulia.

GRS, which primarily comprises Sabah Bersatu, as well as STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parit Bersatu Sabah and Usno had previously aligned itself with Perikatan Nasional and backed its chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

However, Anwar announced last Friday that GRS had decided to join his government.

He took to Facebook to thank GRS for wholly supporting his unity government and pledged support to the wellbeing of Sabahans.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal also paid a courtesy visit to Anwar.

The prime minister’s unity government now comprises Harapan, BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and GRS, with additional support from MPs in Muda, Warisan, Parti Bangsa Malaysia and several independents.

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