Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's prime minister-in-waiting, has come out in support of current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in the wake of the public spat with the Johor royal family.

Mahathir, not exactly an ardent fan of unelected officials, has clashed with the Johor royals numerous times in the past.

Royal disagreement

His recent blog post on April 24 claimed that the state constitution of Johor was "nullified" by the newer constitution of the Federation of Malaysia -- taken to mean that the federal government supersedes royalty.

Then on April 27, further controversy arose following a Johor Daru Ta'zim (JDT) football club match, in which the Malaysian side lost.

Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim was in a car outside the stadium, and a fan said "Tukar Mora (Change Mora)," referring to JDT's coach.

The Crown Prince then said in reply, in Malay: "Instead of changing Mora, it's better to change the Prime Minister."

Got your back

However, Mahathir can count on Anwar's support.

On April 29, Anwar sided with Mahathir as he said to Malaysiakini: "He represents the government with the new mandate, we need to respect that."

Anwar added that the Crown Prince's actions could amount to "royal intervention" in government matters.

Anwar said:

"That is why we reinforce our position, the PM is guided by the principles of the constitution. He has been given the task to comply with it, and we must ensure that he does the task effectively."

Anwar also said that it was the government's duty to advise everyone, including the royal families, about having the people's mandate.

Singapore is Malaysia's "great neighbour and friend"

However, Anwar perhaps chose to take a different tone from Mahathir when it came to discussing relations with Singapore.

It's no secret that Mahathir's previous public statements about Singapore have been rather antagonistic.

But on April 26, Anwar said that Singapore was a "great neighbour and friend" of Malaysia.

Speaking at an Inter-Pacific Bar Association conference, and responding to a question about Singapore-Malaysia relations, Anwar said that no two other countries in ASEAN had "so much in common".

According to The Star, Anwar said: "We are mutually dependent. It would benefit us if we work together more effectively based on trust, of course."

Friends despite contention

He also said that he hoped the two countries would remain on the "best of terms", even while discussing contentious issues.

Anwar also referenced the water dispute, but said that it should be handled "with care".

He added that he hoped both countries could explore new ways of cooperation as Malaysia undergoes a period of transition amidst economic problems, due to past "mismanagement".

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Top image from Anwar Ibrahim's Facebook page.