Sanusi is a bully, incompetent as Kedah MB

 

MP SPEAKS | PAS ideology of overt racism and religious extremism is feared by many Malaysians, especially non-Malays and non-Muslims. But PAS is also grossly incompetent.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has become the latest symbol of PAS’ toxic approach that prioritises divisiveness to national unity, populist sensationalism over competency, and a willingness to jeopardise racial and religious harmony in Malaysia.

Sanusi’s discriminatory policies against non-Muslims and his recent hateful remarks against minorities, particularly Hindus and Indians using racial stereotypes, following the high-handed demolition of a Hindu temple in Alor Setar, have created widespread anger nationally.

Sanusi remains unrepentant and has now unleashed a shocking threat to dam up Sungai Muda and redirect its waters away from Penang to deny raw water to the 1.7 million Penangites.

Clearly, these two latest incidents not only displayed the new Kedah menteri besar’s “big bully” attitude but also his cruelty.

No Malaysian leader until Sanusi has ever threatened to deny water to fellow Malaysians. Further, he is tinkering with Mother Nature by wanting to redirect Sungai Muda, which is the natural border between Kedah and Pulau Pinang.

Is Sanusi not defying God’s will by interfering in what God had determined to be the natural course of the river?

Such boorish behaviour contrasts with his mentor and PAS first Kedah menteri besar, the late Azizan Abdul Razak from 2008 to 2013.

Former Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak

Azizan was cultured, an honourable gentleman, an intellectual who was the head of the Islamic Syariah Department of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Azizan was everything that Sanusi was not, despite Sanusi being appointed as Azizan’s political secretary for the five years Azizan was the menteri besar.

Most importantly, Azizan was competent whereas Sanusi is not. He cannot differentiate between the value of RM43 trillion and RM62 billion in rare earth deposits in Kedah, where even the RM62 billion is disputed. Does Sanusi realise that RM62 billion is equivalent to 100 years of Kedah’s annual budget?

Worse, the federal government has clarified that no license has been granted to mine rare earth in Kedah as claimed by the menteri besar. This is populist sensationalism at best or evil lies at worst.

Sanusi may not be as well-educated as his former boss, the late Azizan. But he should appoint good advisers to help him run a competent government in Kedah, especially address the chronic water shortages and water rationing in Kedah.

The late Azizan belonged to a generation of moderate and Malaysian-minded PAS leaders such as the late Tok Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Fadzil Noor. 

Unlike the present Kedah menteri besar, I do not recall Hindu temples being arbitrarily demolished by Azizan during his tenure as the menteri besar, winning the confidence of non-Muslims and non-Malays. 

Definitely, Azizan did not threaten to redirect the waters of Sungai Muda away from its natural course into Penang.

Sanusi reminds Malaysians everything that is wrong about PAS. Not just the broken promises but also the dangers that PAS in government poses to the future of Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak.

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LIM GUAN ENG is Bagan MP, former finance minister, and former Penang chief minister. - Mkini

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.