Sanusi: Penang is envious of Kedah’s success

Sanusi: Penang is envious of Kedah’s success





KEDAH Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has further fuelled the interstate rivalry with Penang by declaring that some quarters were envious of Kedah’s success in producing more jobs in recent years.

Sanusi claimed this in a groundbreaking launch ceremony for a new township in Sungai Petani called Bandar Saujana Putra.


“Nowadays people are saying all kinds of things about Kedah. It is okay as it is envy which is driving it. It is good for Kedah to be in the limelight often. The state has done well in terms of luring investors and creating more jobs.

“To conduct good marketing and promotion, one needs to be featured at all times,” The Vibes reported him as saying.


Sanusi is of the opinion that it is good for Kedah to constantly be in the spotlight, as it can boost their advantages compared to their neighbours.

He added that any project that the state government approves must offer job openings for Kedahans here.

“If the investors cannot do it, they can go elsewhere such as to Penang.”

Moreover, the Penang assembly passed a historic motion in which it overwhelmingly endorsed a call to reprimand Sanusi and seek an apology from him earlier this week.

This was after his alleged remark that Penang was loaned to Kedah and that the state must pay more than the present annual RM10 mil compensation that the federal government is paying Kedah now.

The Kedah MB has dismissed the censure and apology notice, except to surmise last night that Kedah was singled out because people are envious of it.

Furthermore, after Sanusi took over Kedah in 2020 from Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who was deposed when some members of his former party Bersatu defected to join Sanusi’s PAS in forming a Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance in the state, the interstate rivalry continued.

The other partner was UMNO through Barisan Nasional (BN).

Aside from the different interpretation of history in Penang, Sanusi has caused a rivalry with Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow over the provision of water from the common boundary of Sungai Muda.

During the 15th General Election, Sanusi, the PAS elections director, led PN to a dominant victory in Kedah, taking 14 out of the state’s 15 federal constituencies.

Sanusi also stated that the Bandar Saujana Putra city will be developed in sections over the next 10 years on 1,400ac (566ha) of prime land.

With a gross development value of RM2.5 bil, construction will start next year and it will be fully completed by 2032.

According to Sanusi, it will have 5,400 units of housing, including affordable ones, while 230 industrial lots as well as 40 units of commercial shop houses will also be created.

Sanusi further stated that Kedah is eager to reach the renewable energy market in addition to the electrical and electronics businesses, while the industrial lots will serve cottage industries.

Significantly, Sanusi noted that in 10 years, up to 20,000 jobs would be created.

The project is being constructed jointly by Kedah’s economic development agency and public-listed OIB Bhd.

Sanusi also revealed that the state’s most populous district, Kuala Muda, which borders Penang’s Kepala Batas, had 620,000 registered residents.

This bodes well for the district, as the state would pay it greater attention and infrastructural improvements in the form of increased housing and water supplies are anticipated. — March 10, 2023