I have no problem with Sanusi, says Saifuddin

Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (left) reportedly said Sanusi Nor’s habit of disclosing important information from government meetings to the public, had led to the cancellation of Kedah MPTN meetings.

PUTRAJAYA: Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail insists he has no issue with Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor, despite the duo’s public tiff over the state’s development action council (MPTN) meetings.

Saifuddin, who co-chairs the meetings with Sanusi, said they greet each other when they meet in Parliament. Saifuddin is a senator.

“There’s no problem. When we meet, we have a friendly chat,” he told reporters after meeting with the heads of departments and agencies under the home ministry’s purview here today.

When it came to the development council meetings, Saifuddin said he represented the federal government, while Sanusi represented the Kedah government.

“My focus is to ensure that the federal projects in the state are implemented on schedule. But I understand that Sanusi has a bigger responsibility in Kedah,” he said.

He said this when asked if they could find a middle ground to work together for Kedah’s benefit.

Earlier this month, Saifuddin reportedly said Sanusi’s habit of frequently disclosing important information from government meetings to the public, especially during political speeches, had led to the cancellation of Kedah MPTN meetings.

He said this after Sanusi claimed at a state assembly sitting that Saifuddin had never called him for meetings to discuss Putrajaya’s projects in Kedah.

Last year, the duo were involved in a spat over the extraction of rare earth elements (REE) in the state, where Saifuddin blamed Sanusi’s “incompetence” in managing the state government over the theft of the mineral.

On a separate matter, Saifuddin, who is also the PKR secretary-general, said the party hopes to resolve the turmoil in the Sabah chapter in the near future.

“What we see are differing views over the state leadership,” he said, adding that he was waiting for a report from the central leadership council following their meeting yesterday.

Recently, 15 Sabah division chiefs called for state chairman Sangkar Rasam to step down following unhappiness with his leadership. - FMT