PETALING JAYA: The Kedah government has larger designs on Penang than merely making it a “special territory”, says menteri besar Sanusi Nor.
He said this in response to a recent proposal by academic Ahmad Murad Merican that Penang’s status under Kedah be made similar to Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region under China.
Sanusi, however, refused to divulge the state government’s actual plans, saying he does not intend to give Penang a chance to prepare an appropriate response.
“Our researchers and lawyers have yet to propose to the state exco what reliefs are appropriate for Kedah to sue for in court.
“We want more (than to make Penang a special territory). I can’t say more on this because (Penang) is always ready to respond.
“They respond every time we reveal our plans. They study us constantly and adapt to the situation. If we reveal our plans, we won’t have any legally appropriate ‘ammunition’,” Berita Harian reported him as saying.
On Saturday, Murad, the director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation at International Islamic University Malaysia, said Penang could maintain its autonomy, institutions and politics, but have its governor appointed by the Kedah palace.
Astro Awani reported him as saying at a forum that Penang could alternately be made a federal territory, or have its five districts absorbed directly into Kedah.
Sinar Harian also reported Murad as stressing his view that the entirety of Penang’s early history was centred on the Kedah sultanate’s sovereignty, and had never been a sole and sovereign entity.
He said this invalidated the “colonial” narrative that the island was discovered by Francis Light, which he said was popularised in textbooks and other writings to erase the history of Malay civilisation.
In response, Penang exco member Wong Hon Wai called Murad’s proposal “shocking and disappointing”, saying it challenges the foundational structure of Malaysia’s formation and the Federal Constitution.
New Straits Times reported Wong as saying the relationship between Kedah and Penang was clearly defined in Article 1(2) of the 1957 Federal Constitution, under which both states are part of the Malaysian federation.
