Thursday 28 Nov 2024
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SELAYANG (July 18): Caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said that the sedition charges levelled against him over remarks he made about the Sultan of Selangor at a July 11 ceramah (talk) were meant to dent Sanusi’s chances in the upcoming Kedah state polls. 

After posting bail of RM10,000 for the two charges, he told reporters here that investigations were sped up against him and that he was not given prior notice when he was arrested at 3am on Tuesday (July 18) morning. 

“I am confident that the Malaysian people understand the purpose and motive of these charges, which have been sped up after only three days of investigations. I was detained at 3am today, without any notice. I only knew that I was being charged from the media. I am ready to face these cases,” he said. 

He said that he will give his full cooperation to the authorities on this matter. 

Sanusi also questioned the charges, saying that nothing is allowed to be said in the country anymore. 

“In Malaysia now, it seems you cannot say anything. In the political arena, [we] will settle [it] with arguments.

“But in Malaysia today, we have a government that is scared and uses the police to arrest [us] and curtail speeches,” he said. 

Sanusi said that this is a sign that the government is scared of the looming state elections.

“This is a sign that they are scared and all of the country’s aparatus such as public agencies will be used. I hope that Perikatan Nasional will be able to win all six states in the upcoming elections,” he said.

State elections for Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Penang will take place on Aug 12. Nomination day is scheduled to be July 29, while early polling for the police and army is set for Aug 8, according to the Election Commission.

Some 100 supporters of Sanusi, including PAS politicians and members of Parliament, were camped outside the Selayang Court to lend him their support. 

Sanusi was charged with two counts of sedition under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 for statements he made previously at a political rally on July 11 about Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Both charges accused him of uttering words that had a tendency to incite disloyalty against a ruler. 

Edited ByLam Jian Wyn
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