Can Johor Really Secede From Malaysia, As Claimed By TMJ?

Acknowledging that while his views may be seen as instigating state-based sentiments, his main concern, as the future Sultan of Johor, was the people of Johor and his responsibilities will always go to the state first before the country. "Malaysia is important to me, but Johor and JDT will always come first," he was quoted as saying.

"People deserve to know, that the mess we have in the country right now, should in no way be associated to the Johor royal family. Over the years, we've always been strong and independent as well as resourceful."

"In fact, we only joined the Federation of Malaya, upon both parties agreeing to several basic terms. And if any one of those terms are breached, we have every right to secede from this country," said the Crown Prince to 'Fourth Official'.

Johor agreed to join the Federation of Malaya on 3 conditions.

1. Making Islam the religion of the state
2. Johor's absolute right over water and land issues, and
3. The state Royal house to have its own armed forces.

According to The Malay Mail Online, Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim had issued a reminder that the state had joined the Malay federation in 1946 on several conditions and if "any of these conditions are violated, then Johor will secede from Malaysia".

Well, first of all, even merely speaking about secession is actually considered seditious.

Yes!

You see, over the years, secession is something people of Sabah and Sarawak have often talked about, and been arrested for. Recently, four people from Sabah were charged with sedition for allegedly urging Sabah and Sarawak to leave Malaysia.

While the Federal Government withdrew an example of its definition of seditious tendencies regarding secession in its latest revision to its proposed changes to the Sedition Act 1948, the removal of that example, however, does not mean that encouraging others to seek for a state's secession is no longer considered seditious because such a demand is already seditious in the existing Sedition Act 1948.

This:

"A excites a person or a group of persons to demand for the secession of State B from Malaysia. Such act is seditious." – Amendments list, p.2, Section 3(a). {via Cilisos}.

In an interview with Malaysiakini regarding Tunku Ismail's younger brother's post on Instagram, Dr. Abdul Aziz Bari had said the Attorney General and police should make a stand if the prince, Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim, had violated any law, in particular, the Sedition Act for his Instagram post.

"Only 9 Sultans enjoy legal impunity. The Johor prince does not have this privilege."

In short, there's no provision in the Federation Agreement allowing Johor to break away. Kamal claimed that the 1885 Agreement has long been overtaken by the 1948 Agreement and cannot be read together with the later accord.

"What's pertinent here is that the Sultan of Johor betrayed the people by becoming the first Sultan to surrender all powers to the British under the Malayan Union of 1946. The Johor Sultanate had nothing left after that. The Court even ruled that Sir Sultan Ibrahim was not a sovereign ruler and Johor was not a sovereign state," he said, adding that it was fortunate that there were some Malay leaders who fought the British to save Johor.

There is still a little ambiguity on the whole "Johor can secede from Malaysia" thing, and while the experts claim that Johor cannot leave Malaysia, it is not entirely impossible.

How?

Well, similar to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, the Sultanate of Johor may simply ask the people of Johor what they really want in a Johorean Independence Referendum. However, there is no formal word on it from the Johor government.