KEDAH MB might be the right person to dim the future of Kedah
I think Tunku Mahkota of Johore (TMJ) might be right in saying that the Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammed Sanusi Mohd Nor might be a clown after all.
Clowns are supposed to entertain their audience all the time, they are not supposed to be taken seriously.
A few days ago Sanusi had a rift with TMJ over the payment of arrears to the Kedah football players.
TMJ rather than confronting him realised that clowns being clowns cannot and should not be taken seriously.
Over the last two years or so, Sanusi without fail kept humouring Malaysians with all kinds of antics.
It started off with Sanusi asking Penang to pay compensation for the water drawn from Sungei Muda.
When it was pointed out that Penang is drawing from its side of the river, he threatened that Penang might have to put up with muddy or silt water if water tanks were constructed along the side of the Sungei Muda.
The Penang state was not moved by the antics of Sanusi.
The Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow, said in no uncertain terms that not a single cent would be paid to Kedah.
However, Penang said that it would be supportive if the federal government came up with funds to assist Kedah in the preservation of the water catchment in the Ulu Muda Region, the source of Sungei Muda.
In fact, the federal government wrote off a big sum from the debts owed by Kedah.
Sanusi is infamous for changing his “goal post” every time he runs into a dead end.
When the matter of compensation did not obtain the approval of Penang, he shifted his goal post to the issue that Penang was leased from Kedah during the British colonial days.
Not being a good student of history, he forgot to acknowledge the fact that even if Penang was leased from Kedah, the British never had the intention of returning it to the feudal state of Kedah.
There is the other argument that Kedah never had full fledged sovereignty over Penang as it was regarded as the vassal state of Siam.
The RM10 mil paid by the federal government to Kedah was not an acknowledgement that Penang was leased from Kedah.
It was more of a goodwill contribution like the annual payment that the federal government contributed to the Sultanate of Sulu over the state of Sabah.
Sanusi wanted the federal government to increase its annual payment to RM100 million, not only to safeguard the water catchment areas but also to prevent the state from extracting timber.
Sanusi, coming from a racist and religious extremist party, PAS, has no love for Penang.
He thinks that Penang is the stronghold of the much hated party, the DAP.
Sanusi’s latest act of clowning was the move to ban 4D gambling outlets and the sale of alcohol in rural areas.
He defended his move by asking the operators of the gambling outlets to focus on other business activities.
I am not sure whether the Kedah state government or the local authorities have the power to cancel the licenses as these are given by the federal government, the Ministry of Finance in particular.
The move against the gambling outlets and sale of alcohol in rural areas comes at a time when PAS is contesting in the Melaka state election.
Sanusi might be thinking that such an initiative might assist the PAS in its contest in the Malay-Muslim electorate in Melaka.
Analysts think that the state election might be do or die for PAS for national relevance.
All these clownish acts of Sanusi are not making him popular, the opposite might be happening.
He withdrew from contesting for a top post in the party’s recent election.
He is definitely not popular in the party nor in the state.
There is a general feeling that he might not be the next Menteri Besar of the state.
He has embarrassed and ridiculed the party too many times.
The non-Malays have no love from him.
He directed the destruction of two old Hindu temples in Kedah.
One in Alor Setar was more than one hundred years old.
The other was a temple in Kulim, about 60 years old.
MIC leaders who protested the demolition of the temples were described as “behaving as though they are drunk with toddy”.
Sanusi was the first Menteri Besar to cancel the public holiday meant for the Hindu celebration of Thaipusam.
This infuriated the Hindus in the state, they will never forgive him.
Sanusi hardly conceals his hatred for Penang.
He said that those not happy with his decision to ban gambling outlets, they could move them to Penang, as though Penang has a lower moral status than Kedah.
Even the Mufti of Penang took offence to the remark by Sanusi alluding to the fact that Penang is a “sin city”.
I wonder how an erratic person like Sanusi can administer a state that lacks development and profess.
Bulk of the industrial labour force are working in the manufacturing and service industries in Penang.
Although he opens his mouth too often to irritate or to humour others, he has failed to develop Kedah to an industrial state.
Even the Kulim international airport shows no sign of moving forward.
Kedah might be the next Kelantan.
PAS for all its religious and holier than thou rhetoric shows no sign of working for the interests of the people.
If PAS’ no interest in providing employment and a good life for the people, Sanusi might be the right person. — Nov 16, 2021
