Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to concentrate on governing Kedah instead of continuing to campaign in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
Responding to the controversy surrounding Sanusi’s recent remarks on the loyalty of non-Malays, Zahid said the Kedah menteri besar’s comments were inappropriate and could undermine harmony in Malaysia’s multiracial society.
With six days remaining before polling, Zahid said Sanusi’s attention would be better directed towards fulfilling his responsibilities as the head of the Kedah government.
Calls for greater responsibility from leaders
“We have six more days to campaign. I think he would be better off focusing on governing Kedah.
“There’s no need to come to Negeri Sembilan. Let us handle this state in our own way,” the Umno president told a press conference.
Zahid said political leaders should exercise greater caution when making public statements to safeguard national unity and social harmony.
“If his intention is to unite Malay-Muslims, there’s no need to touch on the ethnicity, religion, culture or background of others in this country.
“I’m convinced that the diversity of Malaysians, who come from various backgrounds, is divinely ordained,” he said.
Sanusi’s remarks draw criticism
At a ceramah two days earlier, Sanusi said “Tanah Melayu” was the only homeland for Malays, while suggesting that the Chinese and Indian communities could look to their ancestral homelands outside Malaysia.
His remarks drew criticism from leaders within Pakatan Harapan, MIC and PN component Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
MIC president SA Vigneswaran also called on BN to reconsider its electoral cooperation with PN for the Negeri Sembilan state election.
