IT is “laughable” to compare caretaker Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor’s arrest with that of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s in 1998, said deputy PKR president Rafizi Ramli.
According to Rafizi, Anwar suffered abuses during his arrests and spent several days in detention before being brought to court on trumped-up charges.
In contrast, Sanusi’s situation was different because he was only detained before being brought to the Sessions Court for prosecution.
“Sanusi didn’t even enter the lock-up. He was only detained so that he could be charged. Yet, some are likening Sanusi’s situation to Anwar’s in 1998,” Rafizi was quoted as saying by Berita Harian during the Pandan MP Jelajah Madani’s speech at Seberang Jaya last night (July 18).
“Is that crazy or what? Perhaps, if someone kicked and punched Sanusi, then it would be a different story.
“Consider Sanusi a lucky man as he was just only arrested and prosecuted and yet there is a uproar claiming that someone in the unity government is so afraid of Sanusi to the point his arrest needs to be done at 3 in the morning.”
Anwar was forcibly arrested at his then home in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur by balaclava-clad police personnel on Sept 21, 1998.
He was produced in court a week later with a black eye. It was later proven that he was beaten by then inspector-general of police Tan Sri Rahim Noor.
Rafizi, who is also the Economy Minister, added that he encouraged Sanusi to be cautious and avoid making statements that he believed might land the incumbent Jeneri assemblyman in jail.
“But if he doesn’t watch his mouth, and he is arrested again, and having to spend time in the lock-up, I can share my experience. Don’t take a bath as you need to strip naked, and I don’t like that,” Rafizi said.
Meanwhile, Rafizi find it strange that a PN politician such as Sanusi, who is the Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director, would make statements that offend the royal institution despite PN presenting themselves as a party fighting for the Malays and Muslims.
“If I had said something similar to what Sanusi said, then PAS would have held demonstrations and forced me to hide in a cave,” he said.
Rafizi was also asked where Sanusi and PAS would put their faces now after cursing Pakatan Harapan (PH), particularly PKR, for disrespecting the royalty in the past.
“But let me tell you that not one of us was nabbed for insulting the royalty.
“However it is, there is a limit. We understand the royal institution’s roles in the community.
“When it comes to Sanusi, he only wants to show he is great, and to do that, he spits on and steps all over the people,” he added.
Yesterday (July 18), Sanusi was detained by a team of more than 20 police officers at his hotel at 3am in the morning and was later charged with two counts of sedition against Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the Sessions Court in Selayang to which he pleaded not guilty to making a statement alleged to be seditious.
Both charges are framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides a maximum fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to three years or both if convicted.
According to news reports, both judges had imposed a gag order on Sanusi to refrain him from commenting on the case. – July 19, 2023
Main pic credit: Facebook/Rafizi Ramli
