Malaysian Culture and Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz is in hot water for threatening to "whack" the crown prince of Johor after the latter criticized Prime Minister Najib Razak for not showing up at a scheduled questions and answer session between an NGO and the Prime Minister. He will be investigated for inciting public mischief under the Penal Code, which protects members of royalty.
On 5th June, Najib decided to skip his appearance at the event because police allegedly said that there were security concerns with his appearance. However, many Malaysians and the Crown Prince of Johor, Prince Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, were sceptical.
""How can you have a dialogue called Nothing2Hide featuring a person who has everything to hide? Obviously he won't show up," he wrote online.
Mr Najib was expected to answer hard questions at the forum about his role in the investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which is billions of dollars in debt now.
In response to the crown prince, Nazri Aziz told the media: "He should keep out of politics because otherwise, he will be subject to the same rule and we will whack him ... Rulers and royal families are above the law.
“If you want to be a politician then say so, so we can hit you back for what you say. But if you hold an important post, as a royalty in a state and start saying things, if we hit you back, don't get angry."
In his latest post on the Facebook page Johor Southern Tigers, the crown prince retorted: "You are a minister, not a God from the heavens who lords above everybody. If I got such a reply, then what chances do the rest of the rakyat have?"