KEDAH Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor will be charged with violating the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP), police said today.

Federal CID director Abd Jalil Hassan told The Malaysian Insight that police received instructions from the Penang public prosecutor’s office to charge Sanusi at the Magistrates’ court.

“The investigation paper was sent back to the police today. Instructions were to charge,” Jalil said.

“The amount of the compound will be decided by the magistrate,” he added. 

Sanusi was hauled up for allegedly test-driving a blue Ford Raptor at a vehicle sales and exhibition centre at Auto-City in Juru, Penang, during the lockdown period in June.

Under the SOP, vehicle sales and exhibition centres are not allowed to operate.

Social media users took the menteri besar to task for violating the SOP. 

Sanusi responded that it is not up to them, his supporters, or those against him to decide if he is right or wrong, adding that the decision is up to law enforcement.

“I am not saying I am not wrong, but if there is a breach of SOP, it is a serious case, and I apologise because it happened by chance,” he said.

He was responding to comments on photos that allegedly showed him and several other people test-driving a car at a vehicle sales and exhibition centre.

A Facebook user claimed that Sanusi, a PAS politician and the state assemblyman for Jeneri, had violated the SOP when he was in a car with three passengers. 

Sanusi’s political secretary, Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden, denied the user’s allegations, adding that Sanusi was on his way to Kuala Lumpur on important matters.

He said the menteri besar stopped to buy food in Juru before leaving as the rest and recreation area was closed.

He also said that the food shop was coincidentally near a car showroom, which was not open for business. Sanusi only went to check out the vehicle out of interest and not to buy it, Afnan said in a statement, adding that Sanusi did not test-drive the car. – July 16, 2021.