YAN: Caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said he has no knowledge of the status of two Chinese nationals who Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail claims were employed by Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
Sanusi said although he is MBI chairman, he does not hold executive powers in the state-owned company.
He said he is only part of MBI's advisory panel, which includes the state secretary, legal adviser, state financial officer, as well as the Forestry Department director and the Land and Mines Department director.
"I have no information (about the Chinese nationals). I don't know anything. It's not true. I don't know anything because MBI is not 'I, MB'. MBI is a separate entity, with its own management.
"The MBI advisory panel is not a board of directors. We only oversee sensitive matters for the chief executive officer and management.
"If matters are raised with us, we give advice. If they are not raised with us, then we wouldn't advise. And we wouldn't know about the operations," he said after presenting grants and temporary occupation licences for the Yan district in Guar Chempedak here today.
Saifuddin had demanded answers from Sanusi on the status of the two Chinese nationals, So Loi Fat and Huang Zhiyi, who were allegedly employed by MBI.
Saifuddin said this was only the beginning of revelations of evidence on the alleged theft of rare earth elements in Kedah.
Sanusi said he is responsible for governing the state, not MBI.
"If you ask me about the company's management, I don't know. This is just the minister's (Saifuddin's) ploy. It's a good try, but it failed. He is trying to equate the MB with MBI.
"This is an attempt to create a narrative to blame mistakes on the MB.
"I'm not interested in answering his nonsense. Even for small operations, he wants us to respond. I don't know. I govern the state. We are not responsible for MBI."