ALOR STAR – Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has criticized certain political appointees in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Foreign Ministry for their unprofessional conduct during the prime minister’s recent visit to Sadao and Bukit Kayu Hitam.
The Kedah Menteri Besar expressed concerns about the interference of these “Little Napoleons,” noting that their actions had negatively impacted the events involving Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Monday.
While praising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for taking a proactive approach to resolving issues at the Malaysia-Thailand border, Sanusi criticized certain officers for their conduct.
As the Menteri Besar, Sanusi was invited to the events by diplomatic administrative officers at the PMO, following standard procedures between Malaysia and foreign countries and between the federal government and the state government.
However, he mentioned that interventions by political appointees created confusion during the visit.
Sanusi highlighted incidents during the pre-council meeting and the delegation luncheon, where he was initially not provided a seat. He thanked the prime minister for intervening and ensuring he had a chair during the meeting.
He expressed bafflement about attempts to prevent him from attending the pre-council meeting, especially considering that land matters, a key issue in the border checkpoints project, fall under the state government’s jurisdiction.
During the meeting, Sanusi learned about hurdles faced by various ministries involved in the border checkpoint project, emphasizing that these issues should have been brought to the Menteri Besar earlier for resolution.
Sanusi pledged his commitment to completing the project despite the challenges, stressing the need to work quickly within existing laws.
He acknowledged the two-week timeframe set by Anwar for resolving pending issues and highlighted the complexity of dealing with land matters governed by the National Land Code.
Despite the challenges, Sanusi assured that the state government would work diligently to fulfill the prime minister’s objectives and expressed his determination not to allow Anwar to look bad in the process.
Sanusi also affirmed his commitment in completing the project and addressing the issues raised during the visit.
