KEDAH Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has lambasted DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng as being “childish” and not proficient in his understanding of the Malay language for accusing him of inciting “violence” among Perikatan Nasional (PN) supporters by likening Penang to “Constantinople”.
In his defence, Sanusi, who is the national PN election director claimed that he referred to Penang as Constantinople merely as a metaphor or figure of speech.
“Constantinople no longer exists. What we have today is Istanbul. I don’t even understand his justification (that Constantinople is a war-like term),” he told the media after returning official vehicles of the state executive councillors to state secretary Datuk Seri Norizan Khazali following the dissolution of the Kedah state assembly effective today.
“Despite living in Malaysia for decades, he doesn’t even understand Malay … Guan Eng is funny like a child. Whatever everyone else is doing is a threat to him. I think this is an issue with the DAP leadership. Whatever done by others is wrong or harmful to the country.”
Guan Eng who is also the Bagan MP had earlier hit out at Sanusi for likening Penang to Constantinople and PN’s supporters to the Ottoman ruler, Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh who is dubbed Mehmed the Conqueror, when addressing the need to re-claim Penang.
On June 25, Malay daily Harian Metro quoted Sanusi telling his supporters that Penang must be reclaimed the way Muhammad al-Fateh conquered Constantinople from the Byzantine Empire.
Sanusi used this analogy on Saturday night (Jun 24) during his speech at the Kedah Berselawat assembly to highlight the need for Penang to be reclaimed to “restore Kedah’s glory” so that Kedahans will no longer be oppressed and looked down upon.
Not satisfied, the Jeneri state assemblyman took another pot shot at Guan Eng by recalling the time when the former Penang chief minister metaphorise himself as Caliph Umar Abd Aziz.
At that time, Sanusi noted that nobody said the matter was wrong even though the caliph was a Muslim.
“Caliph Umar Abd Aziz was the grandson of Saidina Umar Al-Khatab who was known to be very fierce. Why did he (Guan Eng) use that metaphor? He is not a Muslim while Umar Abd Aziz was a Muslim Caliph. But nobody said anything. Instead, they deemed that as fun and supported him,” added Sanusi. – June 28, 2023
