Next Kedah MB candidate up to PN leadership, says Sanusi

 

Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor dismissed speculation that his predecessor, Mukhriz Mahathir, would return to helm the menteri besar post for a third time. (Bernama pic)

ALOR SETAR: Kedah’s menteri besar candidate for the coming state polls will be decided by the Perikatan Nasional leadership, says current menteri besar Sanusi Nor.

Sanusi said PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin would write to the Sultan of Kedah to propose the coalition’s candidate for the post should PN win the state election.

Asked if a PAS or Bersatu assemblyman would be made the next menteri besar, Sanusi said: “Let’s see who wins the most (seats).”

“Also let’s see who is the most handsome,” he quipped.

He dismissed speculation that his predecessor, Mukhriz Mahathir, could return to helm the post for a third time, pointing out that the Pejuang president had taken to Facebook yesterday to deny the rumours.

“(Mukhriz) is not a PN member. To become the menteri besar, you must win (a seat) in the election first. Why would anyone position himself as a candidate when they haven’t won?”

Yesterday, Mukhriz said in a Facebook post that he would not be Kedah menteri besar again, urging his rivals to “stop spreading such nonsensical propaganda”.

Earlier, Sanusi announced that he would propose to the Kedah sultan to dissolve the state assembly on June 28. The 36-seat legislature expires automatically on July 4.

Separately, Sanusi said a top German multinational company would soon set up shop in Kedah, following a trade delegation he led to the European country recently.

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He said the company would set up a facility at the Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP), which he said had seen high demand from other foreign investors.

Sanusi also said the state government was eager to add 182ha to KHTP through land acquisition, but that this was thwarted by Sime Darby Berhad, which was contesting the acquisition.

He added the matter had not been resolved despite meeting “a few prime ministers”, past and present.

“It is not just Kedah’s loss but the federal government’s, too, as it stands to make money from investments here,” he said.

FMT has contacted Sime Darby for comment.

As for a protest over a limestone quarry in Baling by residents, Sanusi said the state government was unable to do much as the approval was given in 1977.

He said Kedah had paid RM40 million to another quarry operator in the past after rescinding the approval, adding that the state did not have the funds to pay such compensation again. - FMT