Sultan of Johor Ibrahim Ismail has defended his wide business interests, saying that he cannot rely on his RM27,000 allowance alone.
"Let's be honest here, we are a constitutional monarch. I have to earn my living like everyone else.
"I cannot depend on my allowance of RM27,000 a month. I must earn a living, like ordinary Malaysians," he said in an interview published in The Star today.
Sultan Ibrahim said the Johor royal family's involvement in business is not new as this had been the case since the time of his great grandfather.
"I have never tried to hide my business dealings using proxies, like some people do, I am open and transparent," he said.
He added that it was healthy for royalty to be involved in legitimate businesses instead of dubious dealings that could tarnish the royal institution.
"I am sure Johoreans do not want to perceive me as one selling titles for my income," he said.
'Singaporeans living in Johor is the future'
Weighing in on the large scale property projects in Johor by Chinese investors, he denied there would be a glut.
He said aside from locals, Singaporeans would also buy up the properties.
"Once the links are in place, it would become the norm for Singaporeans to live in Johor and work in Singapore. That is the future," he said.
Sultan Ibrahim said this is similar to thousands of Hong Kong residents as well as expatriates who stay in adjacent Shenzen and commute to Hong Kong to work daily.
He also defended the Forest City mega reclamation project, saying that Chinese investors are benefitting the state.
He added that the reclamation exercise in the state is a strategic decision.
"If Johor does not carry out reclamation, Singapore would and it has been doing so," he said.
On the implementation of Friday and Saturday as rest days in Johor, Sultan Ibrahim said he is aware that it is affecting business dealings with Singapore which is off on Saturday and Sunday but is still gathering feedback on the matter. - M'kini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.