In a Facebook posting, the prince was reported to have made a surprise visit to AEON hypermarket in Jusco Tebrau City this evening and told shoppers he would foot their bill, for up to RM3,000 each.

It was a “treat for the rakyat”, said the Facebook page of Johor Southern Tigers, the state football team sponsored by the prince.

It said Tunku Ismail had mingled with shoppers and had decided to give everyone a treat, informing them he would be paying up to RM3,000 each on groceries.

The excited shoppers were said to have rushed into the hypermarket to fill their shopping carts.

“I’m no politician. I do not need votes. But I genuinely love my people. Always with you Bangsa Johor. I’m on Johor’s side,” Tunku Ismail was quoted as saying in the FB post.

Tunku Ismail, who is Tunku Mahkota of Johor, made headlines at the weekend with a posting that indirectly criticised former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was on a pre-election campaign visit to Johor.

He received flak for his views, with hundreds of critical comments left at the page.

Dr Mahathir is chairman of the opposition grouping Pakatan Harapan. Tunku Ismail expressed his unhappiness with Dr Mahathir’s opposition to the Forest City project in the Straits of Johor.