PULAU Kukup’s use as a national park must not be politicised, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said today, ticking off a federal minister for issuing a statement calling for the mangrove island to remain as a national park.
Tunku Ismail said his father, the sultan of Johor, had already consented to let the island remain as a national park while keeping its title as sultanate land.
“Its usage and protection does not change. What is so hard (to) understand?,” Tunku Ismail wrote in a Facebook post today.
He also posted a picture of a letter from the Johor Palace dated December 5 to confirm that Pulau Kukup would be kept as a national park, and the words “Stop Politicising Pulau Kukup”.
The crown prince singled out Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who issued a statement on Friday announcing that the cabinet had agreed that Pulau Kukup remain as a national park.
The island’s national park status was recently degazetted, drawing outcry from citizens and Pakatan Harapan politicians against the PH-led Johor government.
Tunku Ismail reminded, however, that the palace’s letter to the state Land and Mines Office, carried the sultan’s own signature to confirm that the island remains a national park.
“First of all, as an outsider, you don’t need to meddle with matters related to Johor. Secondly, no matter what statement or letter is issued, you have no jurisdiction to override the Johor state constitution,” the crown prince said in his comments directed at Xavier.
“The only one who can change the constitution is the ruler. The letter Johor has issued makes it clear that Pulau Kukup will remain protected as a national park.
“Don’t use issues like this to divert attention because you are not performing. This is why I have been saying from before that you should just focus on the progress of the nation. There is no need to be fighting here and there.”
On Twitter, the crown prince also said of Xavier’s statement: “Mana ada surat or menteri boleh (What letter or minister can) interfere dengan (with) the Johor state constitution? Land, religion, and water kuasa (are under the power of the) state. This letter is a joke. Thank you.”
Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian assured in the state assembly today that Pulau Kukup will remain as a national park, expressing shock that his administration was blamed for degazetting the island’s status when it was the previous Barisan Nasional state government that had decided to do so.
Legal rights group Lawyers for Liberty, however, pointed out that the degazettement order was made in September, after Pakatan Harapan took over the state. – December 9, 2018.
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