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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright June 2023
On social media, there is a monument built to honour Francis Sanusi Light to replace the original founder, Sir Francis Light, dedicated to the new discoverer of Penang, Sanusi, the MB of Kedah.
This is in jest of course. Let's hope Sir Francis Light does not turn in his grave over the issue of modifying his old statue to accommodate Sanusi, a new claimant to the island.
In other words, pray that what these social media guys have done would not cause too much distress on the soul of the real founder now long gone. May he rest in peace.
However, the new discoverer who woke up one day and decided to rewrite history by reclaiming the island state is not relenting in staking his claim.
He is saying over and over again much to the displeasure of the people of Penang that the island rightly belongs to Kedah.
While the whole country is laughing at his claims, Sanusi soldiers on, speaking out aloud about his claim for various historical reasons too long to discuss in this column.
Similarly, his followers seem to have forgotten about Penang's development as a state since 1957 and how all states decided then to form the Federation of Malaya by adopting a Constitution that recognises all territories on the Malay Peninsula.
But we'll leave that to the historians to explain to Sanusi and his followers. It'll take more than 300 words to tell the history which started in 1786 when the East India Company decided to use the island as a gateway through to the Straits of Melaka.
Instead, let me invite those supporting Sanusi and himself to join me in celebrating the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Francis Sanusi Light, the 21st-century discoverer of Penang.
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