Muhyiddin once advised Sultan not to overreach

KUALA LUMPUR – A year-old story where Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was reported as asking Royalty to stay in its lane has been making its rounds of late.

In the article, Muhyiddin who was then Home Minister was responding to the Johor government’s purported U-turn on the definition of youth age.

The amendment to the Youth Societies and Youth Development Act (Amendment) 2019 (Act 668) brought the age of youth from 17 to 40; to 17 to 30 years.

However, the Sultan of Johor and the Tengku Mahkota had decreed that the age limit should be reverted to 40.

“I’ve been told that there have been several U-turns on the issue of youth age due to the views of the Johor Palace.

“This is an administrative matter where the state policies must be consistent with the Federal administration.

“I’ve asked the mentri besar to meet and explain to the Palace and I hope the Palace will not interfere. It can give its views but I hope it does not interfere,” he said.

Muhyiddin who is now Prime Minister may need to have a rethink of his words from July 10, 2019.

The Palace’s seeming “overreach” into the executive role by denying Muhyiddin’s request to declare an emergency last week is in contrast with the Yang Di Pertuan Agong’s latest statement for members of parliament to support the Budget so that funds for the fight against Covid-19 could be allocated.

Observers say it is the same perceived “interference” that has now given Muhyiddin a lifeline as a show of confidence to his administration, while the call for support of the Budget is to prevent a loss of confidence to Muhyiddin’s premiership if the Budget is defeated. – The Vibes, October 29, 2020.