THE controversies that have plagued caretaker Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor will not affect Perikatan Nasional’s chances of retaining the state tomorrow, political analysts said.

They said if there were any effects, that would only be too insignificant, or may just influence the fence-sitters. 

“I think there may be a small effect but not to the point of affecting his popularity, because there are some issues brought up that are part of his campaign and he could gain some sympathy.

“But on the other hand, some may think the issues on him are true and support Pakatan Harapan/Barisan Nasional,” Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian told The Malaysian Insight.

He said a decisive factor would be the fence-sitters and first-time voters whose tendencies are difficult to predict.

“So when issues arise, they must be managed well. Maybe PAS supporters will not change because they think it is part of his campaign material.

“But fence-sitters’ perceptions are growing in all six states considering that this group will decide which side wins.”

He added that there were many factors that could influence the support of fence-sitters and this group may choose not to go out and vote.

Sivamurugan admitted that Sanusi was a popular figure in Kedah. 

“Often we see that when a certain personality arises, there will be a move (from the other side) to stop his rise and him from being active in election campaigns,” he said.

Last month, Sanusi was charged with two counts of making seditious statements against the sultan of Selangor and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong following his speech at a political talk ahead of the state elections.

He is also facing lawsuits from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and Berjaya Group founder Vincent Tan in relation to the alleged Klang River development fiasco. 

The REE scandal

Sanusi was recently linked to the illegal mining of rare earth elements (REE) in Kedah and this led to heated exchanges between him and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Saifuddin criticised Sanusi’s leadership in Kedah, especially on the alleged theft of rare earths in Bukit Enggang.

The PKR secretary-general also drew in the issue of human trafficking, claiming that workers from China were brought in to smuggle out REE from the country.

He said the scandal not only showed Sanusi’s failure to govern the state but also that it had affected his reputation as menteri besar.

Saifuddin also presented evidence linking Sanusi to the REE issue – a photo of a businessman from China with the nickname So Loi Fat.

Sanusi in turn said Anwar had brought a tycoon from Indonesia to the state to obtain a REE mining licence.

The REE scandal is also being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) where several state excos have been called in for questioning and three individuals from Menteri Besar Kedah Incorporated have been arrested.

MACC chief Azam Baki earlier said he would call Sanusi in for questioning but that has not taken place until today.

Meanwhile, USM political analyst Ismail Tayeb echoed Sivamurugan’s sentiment, saying the recent controversies aimed at Sanusi, including the REE controversy, will not affect the PN’s campaign in Kedah.

“For Kedah voters, the issues that are of concern to them are inflation, government subsidies and employment,” he said. – August 11, 2023.