CARETAKER Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has given Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail seven days to apologise for accusing him of rare earth theft and the misappropriation of road maintenance funds.

He made this demand in a letter sent through his lawyers.

Sanusi said Saiffuddin, who is also PKR secretary-general, had made the claims as political attacks meant to help Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional ahead of the August 12 state polls.

“You chose to sensationalise this matter by making allegations to the public without any checks and without any documentary evidence that is valid, complete and accurate from a named and reliable source.

“Therefore, it is clear that your actions are malicious without any intention to seek truth and clarification from our client about the real facts,” the letter said.

Sanusi also wants a reasonable amount of damages to be paid.

On July 15, Saifuddin claimed that Sanusi had been slapped with a compound of RM500,000 for the theft of rare earth in Sik, Kedah last year.

“We appointed a menteri besar to manage the state, not to be a thief,” Saifuddin told a ceramah in Guar Chempedak, Kedah.

However, Sanusi had denied this accusation and claimed Saifuddin had got his facts wrong.

Kedah Land and Mines Office director Md Shuhaime Abd Rahman, meanwhile, said the compound was for Menteri Besar Incorporated and not Sanusi.

He said the state company was fined in its capacity as the owner of a forest reserve area in Sik, where his office had detained and fined an individual for the theft of minerals.

Shuhaime also said Sanusi had not invoked his powers to exempt the state company from paying the fine.

Saifuddin had also accused Sanusi of misappropriating funds for the Malaysian Road Records Information System, adding that the state administration was rife with problems of governance and low revenue.

“The revenue collection is low because he plays politics, he does not administer the state,” he had said.

Sanusi had also denied this, showing evidence of where the money had been allocated for.

In his letter of demand, Sanusi said Saifuddin’s accusations were “lies, malicious accusations and distortions of facts, which are fabricated based on a baseless version of the facts, and not supported by any documentary proof and/or evidence that are legitimate, complete and/or accurate”.

He said Saifuddin had every opportunity to clarify with Sanusi but chose not to do so.

Last week, Sanusi was charged with two counts of sedition over remarks made against the Selangor sultan and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

His party PAS and the opposition coalition Perikatn Nasional had accused PH leaders of ramping up attacks against them in view of the state elections. – July 21, 2023.