State polls: Sanusi ready for more attacks

ALOR SETAR: Caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor expects the verbal attacks against him to intensify during the campaign period for the state polls.

However, the state Perikatan Nasional chairman, who is defending his Jeneri seat, remains unfazed, declaring that he is ready to respond to any issues.

“These coming two weeks, things are going to get more extreme but I don’t mind.

“I will respond accordingly, and if I can’t answer them, I’ll leave it to Allah,” he said after submitting his nomination papers at the Sik Land and District Office here yesterday.

Among the hot-button issues that Muhammad Sanusi is likely to face are his controversial statement that Penang belongs to Kedah and the charge he faces for allegedly disparaging the Sultan of Selangor.

Earlier, the PAS leader arrived at the nomination centre at about 9.15am accompanied by a party agent.

Clad in green baju Melayu and sampin, a cheerful Muhammad Sanusi was seen waving to the media as he walked towards the nomination centre.

All set to start: Muhammad Sanusi (centre) and PAS candidate for Belantek Ahmad Sulaiman (third from right) with their proposers and seconders waving to their supporters after the nomination process was completed.

In the 14th General Election, Muhammad Sanusi won the Jeneri seat by defeating Barisan Nasional’s Mahadzir Abdul Hamid and Pakatan Harapan’s Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan with a 2,455-vote majority.

This time, he will face Barisan’s Datuk Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim, from Umno, in a straight fight.

However, he downplayed his chances, saying incumbency did not give him any advantage.

“In a contest, anything can happen. But I hope the voters who backed us in GE15 will still support us,” he said.

In GE15, Perikatan Nasional swept 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in the state.

Muhammad Sanusi also hopes the new Perikatan candidates such as former Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah (Jitra), former Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer Prof Dr Muhammad Suffian Yusof (Bandar Baharu) and two former footballers –Mohd Radhi Mat Din (Alor Mengkudu) and Baddrol Bakhtiar (Gurun) – will do well in the polls.

Meanwhile, Muhamad Khizri described his battle with Muhammad Sanusi as a David versus Goliath match.

“I am not afraid because I’m the underdog. The pressure is on the incumbent.

“Even if I lose, it is normal. But if I win, it’ll be a big upset and the people here will remember me for the next five years,” he said.

Perikatan’s Ahmad Sulaiman also filed his nomination papers at the Sik Land and District Office.

He will take on Pakatan’s Mazli Saipi, from Amanah, for the Belantek seat.

The seat was held by Datuk Mohd Isa Shafie of PAS, who defeated Barisan’s Datuk Mohd Tajudin Abdullah and Pakatan’s Abdul Rashid Abdullah with a 2,574-vote majority in the last state election.

Mohd Isa passed away in June.