INDIAN members from Amanah want Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to apologise to the Indian community for insulting them with his toddy remarks. 

Federal Territories Amanah committee member Thenakeran Rajagopal said Sanusi’s remarks insinuated Indians were drunkards.

He also defended MIC and DAP leaders who were the subject of Sanusi’s attacks, saying they were only highlighting issues concerning the Indian community and temple demolitions in the PAS-ruled state.

“Sanusi is ignorant to the sacrifices made by Indians to Malaysia and Kedah. As a menteri besar, he should not have uttered those insults,” Thenakeran said in a statement today. 

He also said Sanusi’s behaviour in the matter showed the arrogance of PAS and its leaders.

“This shows their lack of tolerance for other races, and is not a good reflection of a Malay leader,” he said.

He added that Amanah, a splinter party from PAS, also objected to the temple demolitions in Kedah, and urged Sanusi to find an amicable solution to the problem. 

“We from Amanah want Sanusi to apologise to the Indian community and not repeat such behaviour again,” he said. 

Yesterday Sanusi hit back at his critics over the state’s recent demolition of the Sri Madurai Veeran Hindu temple in Alor Setar by accusing them of fanning racial and religious sentiments over the demolition. 

He also slammed them for being incoherent and drunk, urging them not to appear “drunk on two to three bottles after only consuming one”, adding they were “drunk on the toddy of popularity” and desired to become “champions of race”. 

The issue started when Sanusi justified the demolition of the temple for being built on land without permission and had, as such, “broken the law”. 

He was then criticised by MIC and DAP leaders. – December 6, 2020.