Sanusi denies being uncontactable by cops ahead of arrest, says has proof

KUALA LUMPUR: Caretaker Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has denied claims by the police that he was unreachable prior to his arrest at a hotel in Mont Kiara here early on Tuesday (July 18).

Muhammad Sanusi said he was in contact via text messages with the police between 10pm on Monday (July 17) and 2am on Tuesday and has the WhatsApp messages in his possession to prove it.

He added that what was told by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain at a press conference on Tuesday that he was arrested as a result of not being contactable was inaccurate.

"With all due respect to the IGP but his claims are not correct. I was in communication with the police as I did not want them to arrest me.

"I told them I would be present in court. I know their intention was to arrest me, more so in public as it would create the 'narrative' that an offence had taken place," he said in a video posted on his official Facebook account after accompanying the Kedah Sultan at a gathering in Alor Setar in conjunction with the Maal Hijrah celebration on Wednesday (July 19).

Muhammad Sanusi said he did not receive any court notice from the police but learnt that it was registered online after working hours on Monday.

"Rarely do people file a case after working hours. I learnt that I would be taken to court to face the charges from a news portal after 6pm," he said.

However, he said that while he was attending meetings, he and his officer had received a call from an individual who introduced himself as a police officer from Bukit Aman.

"I have screenshots of this. Do not play with me, I print them all. I have sent all the screenshots to a senior officer in Bukit Aman.

"The police told me that they would like to take my statement. I asked them if they wanted to arrest me. I told them that I did not want to be arrested as I am a good citizen and have cooperated with the police.I had never tried to flee," he said.

The Jeneri assemblyman said the police had informed him to be present at the Sri Hartamas police station located near the hotel but he told them that he would not do so if they planned to arrest him.

He added that eventually, he was arrested at 2.30am by a police team at the hotel he stayed in.

Muhammad Sanusi said the police personnel were very professional and polite.

"They allowed me to shower, brush my teeth and have a drink. I do not blame them as they were only carrying out orders. It is just that they came in a large group and that scared people at the hotel," he said.

He said he was taken to the Gombak police station, where he was held in a meeting room and had his statement recorded over another case involving his comments in a recent episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by former Umno leaders Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Sufian Hamdan.

In another Facebook post, Muhammad Sanusi also denied reports that he was being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over issues related to illegal mining of rare earth elements (REE).

"So far, no MACC officials have come to see or call me to investigate the REE case," He said, adding that this was an attempt to damage his credibility.