KUALA LUMPUR – Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar is once again on the receiving end of public outrage after he did not greet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the latter’s recent trip to the east coast state.
State Pakatan Harapan (PH) information chief Mohd Sufian Mat Ali lambasted the PAS vice-president as being rude and disrespectful to guests, asserting that the menteri besar and his excos’ no-show jeopardises the wellbeing of people in Terengganu.
“(Sanusi’s snub to Anwar) is like a declaration of war by the state towards the federal administration, which is definitely not good for the people of Terengganu,” he said in a Facebook post today.
“The absence of the menteri besar or his excos seems to trivialise the prime minister’s visit to the state.”
Calling on Samsuri to “reflect on himself and act more professionally in the state’s interest”, Sufian also said the menteri besar could not claim to have not been notified about Anwar’s visit as state secretary Tengku Seri Bijaya Raja had turned up for the event.
Similarly, state PH chairman Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad lamented in a statement yesterday that Samsuri and his excos are setting a bad example to the people while disregarding Islamic teachings.
“Does Islam not invite its believers to celebrate guests by treating them well and showing good character? The people of Terengganu are ashamed by the attitude of our state leadership,” said Raja Kamarul.
Anwar, who is also PH chairman, paid a working visit to the PAS-governed state yesterday, during which he was granted an audience with state ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
Netizens were quick to point out Samsuri’s apparent cold shoulder to Anwar, with Twitter users questioning his absence, especially after a video of him claiming that Anwar has yet to hold talks with state leaders made its rounds online.
A user by the name of @ThorDDDD pointed out that when Anwar had gone to Johor, Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had lunch and performed his Friday prayers with the prime minister.
“(Samsuri) is questioning why (Anwar) did not look for him (after Anwar became prime minister) but when (Anwar) was there (in Terengganu) he did not look for him either.”
Meanwhile, user @_fiqfauwaz implied that Samsuri’s absence might be linked with the video, saying: “When the prime minister has an audience with the sultan, normally the state’s menteri besar will follow behind.”
“Does the Terengganu menteri besar not want to be behind Anwar after criticising him?”
This is not the first time Samsuri has been called out as he came under fire for travelling to New Zealand when a massive monsoon-triggered flood ravaged Terengganu last month.
He had subsequently held a press conference to apologise, insisting that he had continuously communicated with all the agencies involved in the flood relief efforts during his holiday. – The Vibes, January 13, 2023
