Around a year or so ago, there was a viral claim by Kedah MB Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor that Penang actually belonged to Kedah.
Being a colourful character, many of us did not take the Kedah MB’s claim seriously, but the issue did gain traction in the public imagination for a while. Considering that the issue disappeared after its five minutes of fame, I had thought that, like many things Malaysian, it would be buried under the sands of time — never to be heard again.
But as it turns out, this issue might still remain alive despite being buried, and soon, it might be resurrected once again.
According to Malay Mail, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has once again responded to Sanusi’s latest attempt to assert Kedah’s ownership over Penang by saying, simply, “See you in court.” The Padang Kota assemblyman pointed out that this was not the first time the claim had been made. In fact, Sanusi had attempted the same three years ago, and Chow’s reply has remained consistent ever since.
Chow, speaking at a press conference in Komtar, said that despite Sanusi’s repeated claims over the last three years that Penang belonged to Kedah and was merely on a “lease,” the Penang state government has never received any formal legal documents or petitions from Kedah.
Sanusi, however, seems intent on pushing forward. He reportedly told the Kedah State Assembly that the state was in the process of appointing a legal team to begin formal action to determine Kedah’s “relationship” with Penang, claiming the move was based on historical facts and legal grounds.
Chow responded that Penang’s State Legal Adviser is always available to provide advice on such issues, and that if any legal notice were received, the state would immediately seek counsel.
In another report by The Vibes, Chow reiterated his firm position that the matter should be settled through legal channels. Speaking again at Komtar, he said:
“I repeat my answer from three years ago — see you in court, that’s all.”
The Penang government, Chow said, would consult with the State Legal Adviser should any official petition arrive and, if necessary, engage further legal counsel.
Meanwhile, Sanusi has not been idle. He announced that Kedah is in the final stages of appointing a legal team to initiate court action over what he describes as the “long-debated issue” of Penang’s status and relationship with Kedah.
According to him, this move follows the call by Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah in 2023, who emphasised the need to clarify — “transparently” — Kedah’s historical lease arrangement with Penang.
Sanusi said Kedah had also appointed a team of researchers comprising legal and historical experts to prepare a comprehensive report on the matter. The findings, he said, were presented to the State Executive Council, assembly members, and Members of Parliament on April 15 this year.
But while Kedah seems ready to test its claim in court, others argue that the matter is already settled — not by history, but by the Federal Constitution.
As reported by Free Malaysia Today, government backbenchers Ramkarpal Singh (PH–Bukit Gelugor) and RSN Rayer (PH–Jelutong) told the Dewan Rakyat that the Federal Constitution cancels any claim that Penang belongs to Kedah.
Ramkarpal pointed out that the Constitution recognises Penang as a sovereign state in its own right, making any historical argument legally irrelevant.
Rayer further elaborated that Articles 4(1) and 4(2) of the Constitution clearly establish that Penang is one of the states within the Federation of Malaysia, and therefore its sovereignty cannot be challenged.
The debate was reignited when Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN–Sik) called for Penang’s history to be reviewed, arguing that Francis Light’s occupation of the island in 1786 was unlawful because the agreement with the Kedah sultanate was allegedly not sanctioned by the British government.
Tarmizi claimed that Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah had never consented to the British occupation and that the matter should therefore be reopened and studied.
However, Rayer countered that such arguments hold no constitutional weight, asserting that Penang’s sovereignty is not open to challenge — not even by Kedah.
It is also worth noting that Sanusi has, in the past, linked his claim to financial demands. Kedah currently receives a RM10 million annual honorarium from Penang, but Sanusi has demanded RM100 million, citing the lease of Penang Island and Seberang Perai. He has also accused Penang of extracting water from the Muda River — which flows from Kedah — without adequate compensation.
While the Penang government views these claims as politically charged and borderline seditious, as Chow himself once remarked last year, the Kedah administration appears determined to pursue its “historical justice” narrative.
In the end, the issue may well land — as Chow repeatedly insists — in court, where law, not nostalgia, will decide whether the past can overrule the Constitution.
Until then, Malaysians can sit back and watch yet another chapter in the country’s long-running series of federal–state theatrical politics, a spectacle where history, politics, and legal argument are all mixed into a single, spicy dish — much like Penang’s own nasi kandar, though perhaps not as easy to swallow.
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