JOHOR BAHRU, July 23 -- Johor would be able to achieve self-reliance if a quarter of tax revenue collected from the state is returned to it, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said.

His Royal Highness said a 25 per cent tax return allow Johor to sustain itself without needing to rely on assistance from other parties.

"We would not need to burden the federal government or endure a long wait for approval through applications," he said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page last night.

Tunku Ismail's statement comes after recent incidents involving public facilities and development projects in the state.

Among issues he highlighted was the delay in the opening of Hospital Pasir Gudang, which was supposed to begin opera...