Johor facing federal revenue drain, not leakages - regent

Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has argued that the state is not plagued by financial leakages, but rather a revenue drain to Putrajaya.

Responding to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's remark that Johor is a wealthy state facing a leakage problem, the crown prince called on the federal government to return at least a quarter of the revenue collected from the state.

"We contribute (to the federal government) our state revenue of more than RM40 billion a year, and only RM2 billion to RM3 billion is returned to take care of 4.9 million Johor residents - how (does that make sense)?

"That is illogical," he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian during a podcast session with Johor youth yesterday.

Hospital projects

Tunku Ismail also highlighted delays in major healthcare projects, citing the Pasir Gudang Hospital, which he said was saved from possible cancellation due to his intervention.

Although the hospital is now operational, he said it continues to face a shortage of healthcare workers, affecting service delivery.

He added that approval for Sultanah Aminah Hospital 2 has yet to be finalised.

"Who is suffering? The people or the superiors? The people are suffering," he said.

Tunku Ismail maintained that these delays were hampering Johor's development despite the state's contribution to federal coffers.

‘Look after ‘friends’’

The Johor regent stressed that his call for a larger share of revenue to be returned to the state was not intended to create friction with Putrajaya, but to safeguard the welfare of the state's residents.

"We do not want to be enemies, confront anyone, or cause problems for the government that governs the country.

"But they have to look after us as friends. It is time for the federal government to take the lives and the well-being of the people of Johor and the development of the state seriously," Tunku Ismail added.

In October last year, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow urged the federal government to review the distribution of state revenue and called for an agreement to be signed on the issue.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that a meeting between menteris besar and chief ministers saw the rejection of his memorandum proposing a review of the revenue-sharing model between the federal and state governments through the establishment of a special commission.

Chow raised the matter in June, when he said Penang was “shortchanged” in federal allocations despite the state being a top contributor to national coffers.

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