[UPDATED] Anwar blasts Sanusi over claims Penang belongs to Kedah

KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today took Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to task for claiming that Penang still belongs to Kedah. 

The prime minister said as menteri besar, Sanusi should “understand the constitution” and be bound by legal aspects.

“Sometimes, when a leader speaks, he has to understand the constitution, he has to understand what is an agreement.

“The agreement may have been signed 300, 1000 years ago, (but) there is the final agreement of establishing the Federation of Malaya and that is clear.

“To say things in terms of political drama is another matter but as menteri besar, I think it is only appropriate to be bound by legislation,” he told the media after officiating the Fikrah Siddiq Fadzil seminar at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here today. 

Anwar said all leaders need to respect the constitution agreement that has been consented to by all the Malay rulers, including the Kedah sultan, on the issue.

Yesterday, Sanusi was reported to have said that Kedah and Penang do not have a border because Penang still belongs to Kedah, claiming further that Kedah only shares a border with Perak and Perlis.

Meanwhile, Anwar said an allegation that there was an offer for PAS to join the unity government was never discussed with the leadership.

“I’ve never been informed (on this), and I am unaware. I do not know who (alleged this), is it a branch leader, (for) I am unaware – but the important thing is it is not from me and not from the leadership,” Anwar said.

When told that the matter was raised by PAS members themselves, the prime minister replied: “That you’ve got to ask them. It was never brought to us in PH (Pakatan Harapan) or BN (Barisan Nasional)”. 

Last Saturday, the media reported that PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had claimed that he was contacted by several individuals with an offer for PAS to join the unity government. – Bernama, May 30, 2023