Kedah MB apologises to Selangor Sultan, Azalina says it’s too late

PETALING JAYA: Controversial caretaker Kedah Mentri Besar has openly apologised for insulting the Selangor Ruler, but de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said says it may not be enough to wipe the slate clean.

Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor issued his apology to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Friday with an explanation of how his speech was “spun” to defame him.

In a Facebook post posted early yesterday, the Jeneri assemblyman and PAS national election director said he sent a letter to Istana Selangor as he needed to explain his side of the story to the Selangor Ruler.

Muhammad Sanusi said he sent the letter after parts of his speech on July 11 in Selangor were “deliberately twisted”.

Police reports were lodged against him for allegedly belittling the Sultan of Selangor for having appointed Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari as Selangor Mentri Besar.

“My letter started off with an apology to His Royal Highness as I hope he was not upset by the issues, which were purposely picked out of my speech.

“I was informed by the Selangor palace officers that His Royal Highness had agreed to accept the letter and read it on Friday, July 14.

“It would not be nice to attach the letter here in line with the protocols of liaising with Istana Selangor,” said Muhammad Sanusi on Facebook.

He also said he had cooperated with police on the reports lodged against him.

“I had also given my statement to the police from Bukit Aman at 2am on Friday to assist them in completing their investigations over the reports lodged by PKR and others,” said Muhammad Sanusi.

Meanwhile, Azalina pointed out that an apology did not amount to a legal defence in law.

“Anyone who raises divisive issues, disrupts public peace and does not respect the royal institution must remember that this is a wrongdoing according to the law and cannot be resolved with an apology, as an apology is not taken as a legal defence in criminal legislation,” the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said in a tweet yesterday.

The government, she said, wanted to stress that although freedom of expression was a constitutional right of Malaysian citizens and is enshrined under Article 10(1)(a), the same right is also subject to Article 10(2), which ensures public peace and harmony is preserved.

“As politicians or someone bestowed with power, we must realise that our words have the power to influence the public, especially during election season,” “Let the police be given the freedom to investigate those who raise 3R issues that breach the law without the interference of any parties,” she said.