Flamboyant Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor caused a stir recently after it was reported that he had tied the knot for the second time - this time to a police personnel; and typically, when the news of the marriage broke out he couldn’t help quipping that he still had “two more to go” in the quota allotted to him!
In a nutshell, that personified the hotshot PAS election director; thanks to his populist antics and what some critics may call a “loose tongue”, he has never been afraid of being caught in controversies which may actually seem like a second nature to him.
Thus, not surprisingly, the question that many will be asking of the popular PAS leader now is: will he actually keep the solemn promise he had made to the Selangor Sultan?
For context, last Wednesday (Sept 25) it was reported that at a press conference, Sanusi had issued an official apology to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, over remarks he had made during a state election campaign last July.
He also went on to express his regret over his comments which had hurt the feelings of the state ruler before adding: “With deep remorse and humility, I seek the forgiveness of His Highness, the Sultan of Selangor, the Selangor menteri besar, and the people of Selangor."
Interestingly, Sanusi also pledged to exercise greater “caution” with his statements and ensure that his remarks will be in line with Malay customs, which upholds respect for the Rulers and the institution of the monarchy.
Fortunately for him the following day the magnanimous Selangor ruler said that he forgave the Jeniri assemblyman “in the name of Muslim brotherhood and race”, adding that one should always forgive one another if the one asking for forgiveness is sincere.
Nevertheless, this is not the first time the PAS strongman had issued an open apology; last May, at a state-level Aidilfitri celebrations he had also apologised to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Cabinet ministers and sought forgiveness for making inappropriate remarks - even promising “to turn over a new leaf” in the spirit of Syawal!
The truth is, the outspoken menteri besar’s list of controversial statements is quite long; and in December last year he had reportedly called tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing a “pot-bellied deity" when accusing him of not doing enough to promote tourism in his state.
Meanwhile, in May last year Sanusi had also sparked controversy by claiming that Penang, which is ruled by the predominantly ethnic Chinese Democratic Action Party (DAP), actually “belonged” to Malay-majority Kedah which to many would have appeared to carry racist connotations.
The “toddy” word…
But it was not only the Chinese who had come under his “bullying” tactics; he had also openly disparaged ethnic Indian Malaysian leaders who expressed concerns about the demolition of a Hindu temple in his state, likening them to being drunk on “toddy” - a word which is often used as a slur against the Indian community in this country.
Spewing expletives about male sexual organs in Chinese!
Then in June last year the popular Islamist party leader was said to have uttered a Hokkien word referring to a “male reproductive organ” during a Perikatan Nasional rally in Permatang Pauh, Penang; the shocking thing was that it was said in the presence of women and children which resulted in a police report being lodged against him.
While the controversial Islamist leader’s “devil may care” shenanigans may have endeared him to his legions of fans and might seem quite harmless to some there is no doubt that behind the rotund, playful face is a shrewd, savvy and ruthless persona.
In fact, Sanusi is alleged to have become a divisive figure in the country and appeared to have subtly positioned himself as a prominent leader of the Malay-Muslim community, spreading “supremacist” and “anti-minority” propaganda in grandiose rallies as well as through social media platforms such as TikTok; could that be the reason why the PAS leadership had aptly appointed him as the chief commander of its dreaded “green wave” army with the vision to “capture” the whole nation?
Interestingly, the firebrand Sanusi may also have the “distinction” of being one of the select few political icons who have gotten into trouble for spewing inflammatory remarks on all three banned 3R topics that is race, religion and royalty; naturally, with this “unique” record and being a somewhat serial offender, some observers may already be asking skeptically; now that he has been forgiven, how long will he remain “cautious” with his statements…?
Information source: Utusan Malaysia, Malay Mail, FMT, Focus Malaysia, The Diplomat and Malaysiakini
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