FORMER chief minister Lim Guan Eng has called on 1.8 million Penang folk to punish Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the state polls for questioning Penang’s sovereignty and right to exist as a state. 

He said Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is making a devious political stratagem to gain political mileage for PN to win Kedah in the state elections.

“Penang folk should defend their state’s sovereignty by giving PN a painful lesson for denying its right to exist in Malaysia.

“Sanusi has also been dishonest by claiming that Kedah still has a valid claim to Penang because Penang has been making annual ex-gratia or lease payments to Kedah. 

“This is untrue. Penang has never paid a single sen of ex-gratia or lease payments to Kedah,” he said in a statement.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Sanusi said the Federal Constitution should be amended to support his claim that Penang belongs to Kedah.

Free Malaysia Today reported that Sanusi had said that historical and academic studies supported his claim that Kedah owned Penang. 

He had said the current generation needs to rectify the “distortion of history” and amend the Federal Constitution accordingly.

Lim said Sanusi has doubled down on his claim that Penang belongs to Kedah by demanding that the Federal Constitution be amended to erase Penang from the map. 

“If Penang can be so flippantly erased, then there is nothing to stop the fundamental rights and civil liberties of ordinary Malaysians from being eliminated by racial bigots and extremists.”

Lim said the reason why Sanusi is suggesting the Federal Constitution be amended to erase Penang from the map because he knows there is no legal basis whatsoever to his claim of returning Penang to Kedah. 

He said under article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, Penang is part of the basic structure of 14 states that makes up the Federation of Malaysia. Article 1(3) accords recognition to Penang as a territory of its own. 

“Article 2 states that boundaries of any state are determined by parliament subject to the consent of the states affected and the Conference of Rulers.”

He added that Permatang Pasir assemblyman Faiz Fadzil had emphasised that pursuant to article 2, the boundaries of Penang and Kedah were demarcated and codified into law under the Kedah and Penang (Alteration of Boundary) Act 1985. 

“In other words, the boundaries of Penang and Kedah had been demarcated, set by law and agreed by both states as well as the Conference of Rulers in accordance with article 2 of the Federal Constitution.”

Meanwhile, Faiz said Sanusi is stubbornly defending his claim “even without any basis or supporting evidence”.

“His statement can confuse the public and the young generation and can cause tension and anxiety among the people. 

“Youth must be educated with the right knowledge and facts, not empty claims,” he posted on Facebook today. 

Faiz also questioned Sanusi on why did he not speak out against this Act when it was enacted.

“Does Sanusi want to be considered disobedient to the Conference of Rulers? 

“Sanusi’s naivety in understanding the law makes him unfit to hold the post of menteri besar.

“State administration is guided by the law, and if he does not understand the law, how can he govern well?”

He added that Sanusi should not forget about the history of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, which was made at the time of independence and the formation of this country, which includes the states of Kedah and Penang, in the 1957 Federation of Malaya Agreement. – June 2, 2023.