THE war of words over Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s controversial remarks has escalated into a legal battle, with the PAS leader issuing a letter of demand (LOD) to Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan over alleged defamatory claims.
The legal notice, issued through Sanusi’s lawyers from Faizi & Associates and dated July 27, alleged that Pakatan Harapan (PH) Selangor election director had made defamatory remarks during a media statement outside the Seremban district police headquarters on July 24, before uploading a recording of the statement on his TikTok account.
According to the letter, Sathia’s remarks allegedly gave the impression that Sanusi had called on members of the Indian community to “go back to India” and Chinese Malaysians to “go back to China”.
Sanusi’s lawyers argued that the remarks were untrue, a misrepresentation of facts and had been presented in a misleading manner, which they claimed had affected his reputation as a political leader.
The law firm said Sanusi’s actual remarks were meant to convey that Malays viewed Tanah Melayu as their homeland, while other communities had ancestral countries of origin, and stressed that he had not called on any group to leave Malaysia.
The controversy followed criticism against Sanusi over his comments, which opponents said touched on sensitive racial issues. Sanusi has since maintained that his remarks were taken out of context.
Under the LOD, Sanusi is demanding that Sathia remove the TikTok video containing the alleged defamatory remarks, issue a retraction and ensure the material is not republished in any form within seven days of receiving the notice.
He is also seeking a public apology from Sathia through his TikTok account, as well as publication of the apology through local newspapers, websites and social media platforms agreed upon by both parties.
The letter further stated that Sathia must propose a reasonable amount of compensation to resolve the matter.
Faizi & Associates warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would result in Sanusi taking further legal action, including seeking an injunction against Sathia without further notice.
Sathia has yet to issue a public response to the legal notice. – July 28, 2026
