Malaysia not a country with ‘absolute monarchy’, says Mahathir Mohamad as feud with monarchs rages on

• The spat over the appointment of Johor’s chief minister shows no signs of abating, with Sultan Ibrahim Ismail – in a veiled attack on Mahathir – demanding that ‘certain parties’ quit interfering in his state’s affairs
• The premier responded by saying Malaysia would ‘no longer be democratic’ if the royal family had absolute powers in selecting chief ministers