CM rebuts Sanusi's Penang bid, cites failed Sulu claim on Sabah

CM rebuts Sanusi's Penang bid, cites failed Sulu claim on Sabah

Shakira Buang
Published: Jan 27, 2026 3:19 PM
Updated: 7:55 PM


PARLIAMENT | Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow invoked the Sulu sultanate’s historical claim to Sabah to underscore a fundamental principle that historical assertions cannot override constitutional sovereignty.

In this context, he dismissed Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor’s claims over Penang as baseless, directly contradicting both the Federal Constitution and the core tenets of Malaysian federalism.

Chow (above) emphasised that the Malaysian government’s consistent legal stance on Sabah has firmly established that sovereignty is governed by the Federal Constitution - not by pre-independence arrangements or historical narratives.

He told the Dewan Rakyat that Penang has been recognised as a sovereign state since the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957, and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 further reinforced this status.

“Penang is subject to the Federal Constitution and not to any pre-independence historical claims.

“I want to stress that from the very beginning, Kedah’s claims are entirely unjustified and baseless from a legal perspective and are completely contrary to the principles of the Malaysian Federation that we have long upheld,” he added.

Penang a sovereign state

From a legal standpoint, Chow stressed that Penang is a sovereign state within the Federation of Malaysia.

“After the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957, Penang was recognised as a sovereign state on par with other states, including Kedah.

“This status was further reinforced when MA63 was signed, and since then, Penang has been subject to the Federal Constitution and not to any pre-independence historical claims,” he added while debating the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s speech.

Chow pointed out that the boundaries between Penang and Kedah were also legally established under the Kedah and Penang (Alteration of Boundary) Act 1985, which was passed in Parliament under Article 2 of the Federal Constitution.

“In a federal system, state boundaries cannot be changed arbitrarily, especially through political statements without a valid legislative process, and this claim clearly contradicts the spirit of federalism,” he said.

Chow also warned that if such claims were allowed, it could open the door to other claims that might undermine Malaysia’s stability and harmony.

“It should be remembered that the Malaysian federation was built on the principle of equality among states and respect for each state’s sovereignty.

“If such claims are permitted, we would actually be opening the door to other claims that could threaten the country’s stability in the future,” he said.


Stop the rhetoric

Chow also urged all parties to stop political rhetoric that could confuse the public and damage inter-state relations.

Kedah MB Sanusi Nor


“It is time to end debates that bring no benefit to the people and the nation,” he added.

In 2021, the Kedah government demanded RM100 million in lease royalties from the federal government for Penang, as the lease had never been reassessed since 1786.

In January this year, Sanusi reportedly said that the state government was confident that the legal process regarding Kedah’s claim over Penang could begin this year after the analysis of related documents was completed.