VETERAN journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin has described claims by Kedah Menteri Besar (MB) Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor of a plot to remove him from the National Finance Council (NFC) as a serious allegation that warrants through investigation by the Finance Ministry (MOF).
Despite many quarters having deemed the allegation by Sanusi who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director as a ploy to undermine the unity government in the wake of the upcoming state polls, Kadir opined that this is a public administration issue that needs to be urgently resolved.
“If it is not true, the MOF as the authority in question must deny it. If it’s true, it’s harmful,” the former Bersatu supreme council member penned in a recent Facebook post. “If there is a problem, it can or must be solved according to public administration procedures.”
For context, the controversial Kedah MB who is prone of making defamatory statements has cried foul over the plot to boot him out of the NFC with the Kedah state government secretary Datuk Norizan Khazali as his replacement. However, he could not offer proof to his claim.
Elaborating further, Kadir said the very fact that the Finance Minister is not on the same page with certain leaders for political reasons should not be used as a reason to restrict or remove someone who has the right to sit or attend a meeting of a body.
“Not to mention using a third party to prevent or get rid of the disliked person,” he asserted. “Involving or using third parties who are not normally involved in this type of affairs can interfere with transparency and good governance.”
Giving Sanusi benefit of doubt, Kadir said should the former’s claim is true, “this will once again prove a conflict of interest when the Prime Minister (PM) is also the Finance Minister”.
“An attack on the Finance Minister will spread into an attack on the PM (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim),” he argued. “And if there is a dispute with the Finance Minister, with whom should one appeal to because the Finance Minister is also the PM himself?” – April 14, 2023
