Perhaps it is unsurprising that amidst the spat between Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the Johor royal family, Singapore should eventually come up.

Sale of Singapore to the British is why rulers should not have absolute power

On April 11, Mahathir stated the sale of Singapore to the British was one of the main reasons why Malaysian rulers should not have absolute power, Malaysiakini reported.

His statement came as part of the latest salvo he has fired in his ongoing feud with the Johor royal household, over the selection of the next Chief Minister of Johor after Osman Sapian resigned.

Malaysian rulers might put their own interests above the state's

Mahathir further explained that the sale of Singapore was an example of how Malaysian royalty might put their own interests before that of the state's, Malaysiakini highlighted.

It should be noted that Singapore was not exactly sold to the British, but that rather, the British exploited tensions between the then-Sultan of Johor, Sultan Abdu’r-Rahman, and his brother, Tengku Hussein, to gain control of Singapore.

As another example, Mahathir added that the Malaysian rulers had also ceded their own states to the British.

Mahathir said:

"This is what happens if we give absolute power to the rulers. They may put their own interests before their states. It has happened many times before."

It is in the people's interest that the rulers are not given absolute power

As such, Mahathir added, it is in the interest of the people that executive powers not be vested in the royals, Malaysiakini further reported.

As per Mahathir:

"It is to save the rakyat (people) -- for the rakyat to choose their own representatives, who can be voted out (of power) if they do not perform."

Mahathir further took aim at what he perceived as the "feudal" mindset of the Malays, adding that their mentality made the people more susceptible to exploitation by the Malaysian royals.

In elaborating on his charge, Mahathir said the Malays perceived the Malay rulers as unquestionable, even if they made mistakes and did not follow the rule of law.

Mahathir stated:

"Are we willing for this to continue? The rakyat is afraid of not serving the rulers, and when the rulers act beyond the constitution, it is the rakyat who become the victims."

Subsequently, Mahathir concluded that if people were willing to lose democracy and the parliamentary system, it would be better to stop having elections.

Here's how Mahathir has been clashing with the royals so far:

This is how the British actually gained control of Singapore:

Top image collage from Mahathir Mohamad Facebook and Pixabay