ALOR SETAR, April 11 — Kedah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar today lambasted Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for claiming that there was a concerted effort to remove him as the state’s representative in the National Finance Council (NFC).

Mahfuz, in describing it as a malicious and politically motivated allegation, said Muhammad Sanusi was trying to gain public sympathy by portraying as though Kedah was being persecuted through him.

“When in fact he (Muhammad Sanusi) himself has admitted to not having any proof, so how can he hurl accusations like this? This is a malicious act to mar the image of the Unity Government.

“... to me, this is something that does not reflect the wisdom and the responsibility of a Menteri Besar, who is now making statements without proof, when in fact he had just lost his appeal in the Appeal’s Court over my defamation lawsuit. So how can he go on slandering again? Making statements without proof is slander,” he said.

On Sunday, Muhammad Sanusi was reported by the media as claiming that there was an effort to name Kedah State Secretary Datuk Norizan Khazali as his successor in the NFC.

The Menteri Besar also claimed that the attempt to remove him from the NFC was due to his criticism of the Federal Government and alleged there were efforts to lobby the Sultan of Kedah Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah for that purpose.

Mahfuz said Article 108 of the Federal Constitution states that NFC membership consists of a Prime Minister or any appointed minister and a representative from each state approved by the Sultan or Yang Dipertua Negeri.

In this regard, he said only the Sultan of Kedah can remove the Kedah Menteri Besar from being a member of the NFC, which in turn meant that Muhammad Sanusi’s allegation appears to degrade the ability and dignity of a Sultan.

“This means the Sultan has absolute power to appoint anyone to represent Kedah in the National Finance Council. So, when he (Muhammad Sanusi) says there are parties lobbying the Sultan, he is degrading the Sultan, as though the Ruler is incapable of making his own decision on who should represent the state,” Mahfuz said.

Mahfuz demanded that the Kedah Menteri Besar apologise over the matter, saying that his impudent actions were as though he was trying to belittle the powers of the Rulers. — Bernama