MALAY rulers are within their rights to invite political parties to events at the palace but it would be wrong for them to meddle in the country’s politics, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

“If they invite for Hari Raya to eat, ok lah! But I don’t think they want to play politics as Malay rulers can’t interfere in politics,” he said after launching a housing programme in Jasin, Malacca, today.

His remarks come after a series of pictures were uploaded on the Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page, showing him being greeted by the state’s Umno liaison committee members at the royal palace. 

However, the palace later uploaded more pictures of the sultan meeting Pakatan Harapan state leaders at his Hari Raya gathering a day earlier.

Johor Umno Youth chief Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said that the state unit had requested for an audience with the sultan over the Hari Raya period, which was granted by the palace.

Later this evening, the Johor sultan’s media unit announced that Sultan Ibrahim had also granted an audience with Bersatu state leaders at Istana Pelangi.

The delegation was lead by Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal. – June 10, 2019.