PAS’ Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has sparked several controversies as Kedah chief minister, but observers feel the state is still PN’s to lose.
ALOR SETAR, Kedah: Kedah chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is no stranger to controversy, but his latest comments on the sovereignty of neighbouring state Penang ruffled more than a few feathers.
The police are currently investigating Sanusi for causing public mischief and abuse of network facilities, and some parts of the investigation have been handed over to the attorney-general, Anwar told parliament on Jun 6. He also called Sanusi “irresponsible”.In Penang, Pakatan Harapan braces for inroads by Perikatan Nasional during upcoming state polls
PN component parties PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia are governing Kedah as they hold 21 seats in the 36-seat assembly. Since becoming chief minister, he has been panned for comments about women he made in a viral video, accused Putrajaya of hampering the development of his state, and is embroiled in a legal suit with Anwar for insinuating that the Prime Minister is immoral.While critics - often opposition politicians - say his antics could hurt PN at the polls, some political analysts point out that his bluster resonates well with rural Malays, who make up a large portion of Kedah voters.
When approached once more on Jun 7, Sanusi referred CNA to a live recording on Facebook of a press conference he had conducted after a state government meeting earlier that day. “I don’t think it’s too much. Maybe a bit … but that’s why they appointed me as election director. If not, I would have been appointed as ,” he said.
Sanusi said he has sent three official letters to Anwar to renegotiate the lease value, but has yet to receive a reply. “This party sees Islam as its mission and promotes Islamic values,” the former Kedah chief minister told CNA, pointing out that PAS has a lot of leaders who are ulama and ustaz . “We have water treatment plants in the state, but these are under federal budget. There’s not enough water stock, and we also need new treatment plants. need to ask the federal government for help,” he said.
Sanusi has been trying to get the federal government’s buy-in amid what he says are concerns from Penang about competition. The chief minister also said he will not need federal funding for the project, which he believes will bring economic benefits to Kedah.Kedah PH chairman Mahfuz Omar told CNA that while some see Sanusi as a “hero”, others might not feel the same way. CNA has observed both positive and negative reactions to Sanusi’s rhetoric on social media.
PH’s Mahfuz said this comes as the coalitions are confident of successfully defending Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. Mahfuz said PH and BN will work towards winning 16 seats at the upcoming state election, which is the same number of seats they won at the previous state polls in 2018 without Bersatu.
Mahfuz said parties in the unity government have formed committees at both the federal and state levels, as well as jointly conducted community events to “eliminate old feelings of hate”. Dr Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist from Sunway University, told CNA that PH-BN is hoping to “release the pressure” on Selangor by going on the offensive in Kedah.
“Voters who dread political fatigue and the negative impact of political machination on the economy in the past three years may feel strongly to want to save PH-BN,” he added. “Based on their performance in the last general election, a convincing margin of victory is possible. UMNO has still not recovered, and Parti Keadilan Rakyat is still not the party of choice for the rural Malay electorate,” he said.Furthermore, Asrul said Sanusi's willingness to criticise the federal government has made him “immensely popular” in the state.
Kedah resident Abd Samat Che Noh feels Kedah chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor lacks the proper character to lead the state.
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