PAS has blamed a news report by a media portal for sparking controversy over remarks made by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, alleging that selective use of quotes had been used to portray the leader negatively.
PAS Information Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the report had not only extracted selected portions of Muhammad Sanusi’s speech but had also interpreted them as a firm assertion without providing the wider context.
He claimed the report created the impression that Sanusi was suggesting Malaysia was a place of protection only for indigenous communities, while other ethnic groups had their own countries of origin.
"This editorial interpretation reinforced the perception that Muhammad Sanusi was questioning the position of Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian descent," he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Fadhli said the quoted remarks could not be understood separately from the full speech, which he claimed included references to the history of the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948 following the replacement of the Malayan Union.
He said the context was important in showing that Sanusi had never displayed anti-Chinese or anti-Indian sentiments, nor called for Malaysians of Chinese or Indian heritage to leave the country.
"The focus of his speech was on concerns regarding the political and economic position of the Malays, not on denying the citizenship rights of other communities," he said.
Ahmad Fadhli argued that by omitting references to tolerance and historical explanations related to the Federation of Malaya, the report had allowed readers to interpret the phrase "Cina ada China" as suggesting that Malaysian Chinese should regard China as their homeland.
"This is the difference between an accurate quotation and a complete portrayal. A quotation may still be literally true, but it can also create a misleading perception when the sentences before and after it are not included," he said.
Sanusi, who is also Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director, had previously claimed his remarks were distorted and said he was prepared to take legal action and lodge police reports against parties he accused of misrepresenting his speech.
Ahmad Fadhli further claimed that similar sentiments had previously been expressed by Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and that a related view had also been conveyed by Pahang ruler Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
He proposed three steps to resolve the issue: the news portal should clarify the context of its report, Muhammad Sanusi should directly explain the intended meaning of his remarks, and all parties should review the full recording of the speech before making accusations.
"Media freedom must be defended, but that freedom must come with accuracy, context and accountability. Likewise, political freedom must be accompanied by care in the use of words.
"In a multiracial society, an unbalanced headline and an imprecise statement can equally create misunderstanding," he said. - July 27, 2026
