PRIME MINISTER (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will make history when he hosts the first of the six “Madani Malaysia Aidilfitri Open house with the PM” which will kick off at Hotel Raja in Alor Setar from 10am to 2pm today.
No other PMs, including Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had hosted such grand scale celebration in Kedah which is scheduled to be graced by the state ruler Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah.
The sudden U-turn by Kedah Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor who had earlier criticised Anwar’s decision to hold the open house in ‘Opposition-ruled states’ is welcomed even though it is solely in his capacity to escort state ruler Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah to the event.
“Sanusi has no choice,” observed the National Patriots Association (PATRIOT) chairman Brig-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Mohammed Raji. “If he is absent from the function, he is seen as being impolite to the Sultan. For us Malays, this is tantamount to kurang ajar (disrespectful).”
Instead of leading his own delegation as the head of the state’s administration, Sanusi now has to bite the bullet and play the second fiddle after his role as MB was reduced to merely an escort to His Royal Highness the Sultan of Kedah.
Sultan Sallehuddin’s presence at today’s open house will send a strong message to both Sanusi and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, both of whom have been critical of Anwar’s plan to host the Raya open house in Opposition states of Kedah, Kelantan (May 12) and Terengganu (May 13).
With Sultan Sallehuddin consenting to grace the occasion, it is indeed a great honour for Anwar who is also the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman to extend his hand of friendship to Opposition states. It is now hoped that the rulers of Kelantan and Terengganu would also follow the footsteps of their Kedah brethren.
To Takiyuddin who is also PAS secretary-general, such development can be a bitter pill for him to swallow after he had made his remark that the Madani open house series were “clearly excessive and indefensible” in that they are “merely election campaign” for the upcoming state polls in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan.
Fiesta mood
Last night (April 28), about 10,000 Kedahans thronged the Dataran Stargate to meet Anwar who is also the PKR president at the Kedah Madani Gathering. There were also special appearances by guest artistes Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Datuk Amy Search.
“There are really no such things as Opposition-ruled states. After all, we are one nation under one PM and one King,” said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who had earlier schooled Sanusi on a number of issues that the latter created himself.
At the pre-open house event that was also attended by Deputy PM Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and key leaders of the unity government, Anwar was able to launch the Unity bus and trucks to drive the Madani Malaysia initiative.
“In my speech, I invited the people of Kedah to support the unity government because of its policies that lift the dignity of the people and the country,” Anwar who is also the Finance Minister penned on his Facebook page.
“I also emphasised that the unity government will not be tolerant in the effort to cleanse the country of corruption and irregularities.” – April 29, 2023
