Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has again defended his remarks on the history of Tanah Melayu, saying his comments had been distorted by certain parties to create anger and misunderstanding.
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director said he was merely reminding the public of historical facts and had never suggested that any community should return to their ancestral countries, as alleged by his critics.
“I’m puzzled that history cannot be accepted as a fact. Do I have to spell it out by saying Scots come from Scotland, Swedes from Sweden, and the Irish from Ireland?” he said during a ceramah on Wednesday night.
Sanusi said Tanah Melayu was historically inhabited by the Malays and that acknowledging this fact should not be controversial. He added that understanding history was important to help Malaysians appreciate the country’s past, assess the present and plan for the future, including recognising the openness of previous generations in building a multiethnic society.
Rejecting accusations that his remarks were racist, Sanusi said the PN-led Kedah government had consistently provided assistance to all communities regardless of race.
“We’ve done many good things. We help pondok schools, religious schools and Chinese schools whenever they need assistance. So how can they say we’re racist? That’s simply not true,” he said.
He also accused his political opponents of deliberately twisting his remarks to stir hatred and confusion for political gain.
The controversy arose after Sanusi, during a campaign speech in Negeri Sembilan, reportedly said that “the Chinese have China, the Indians have India, the Cambodians have Cambodia, and the Malays only have Malaysia.”
His remarks drew criticism, with some interpreting them as questioning the citizenship and place of Malaysian Chinese and Indians. However, Sanusi denied that this was his intention, insisting he was not disputing the rights or citizenship of any ethnic group.
Police have confirmed that several reports were lodged over the matter and said Sanusi will be called to give a statement as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Sanusi has threatened to file a defamation suit against PKR leader Dr N Sathia Prakash, accusing him of misrepresenting his remarks about the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities during the ceramah.
