Johor’s royal row dominates headlines, but voters’ minds remain elsewhere

Economy, rising living costs trump debate over palace’s influence on state politics

- Harith Mustaffa and Shannon Teoh

First-time Johor voter Nur Bella Ahmad is an ardent follower of Malaysian politics.

She keeps up with news on the economy, jobs and race relations, and was scrolling social media platform Reddit looking for the latest updates when The Straits Times met her.

Yet, a week before the Johor state election, the heated exchanges over the influence of the Johor royal family on state politics have barely registered on her radar.

“For us growing up in Johor, these things are normal,” she told ST on July 1 at a fashion boutique in Iskandar Puteri, where she works as a cashier.

The 21-year-old fashion diploma graduate was just five when Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, considered one of the most hands-on rulers in recent memory, ascended to the throne.

Elsewhere, the running war of words between the Johor royal family and the administration of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has consumed the political discourse, with fierce debate over the limits of constitutional monarchs.

Despite that, voters in the state seem unperturbed ahead of the July 11 polls to decide who governs the southernmost state for the next five years.

For Johor logistics supervisor Derek Tan, who will vote in Permas, the royal issue is far from the top of his mind. The economy and rising living costs matter more.

“My business is on fire these past few years, and I’m pretty happy with how things are and whoever is running the show now,” he said.

The controversy goes back to a week before campaigning began, when Johor Regent Ismail Ibrahim, also known as Tunku Mahkota Johor or TMJ, trained his guns on would-be opponents of the state’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

From all the way to the top against Anwar to smaller threats like Malaysian United Democratic Alliance’s (MUDA) only federal lawmaker Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, the Crown Prince took potshots while defending the UMNO-led BN administration in his state.