SIK: Caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has sent a letter of demand to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for allegedly defaming him over two separate issues.
He said the letter of demand was about Saifuddin's allegation that Sanusi was stealing rare earth minerals in Kedah, and the other accused him of using RM1.6 billion Malaysian Road Record Information System (Marris) for other purposes.
"My lawyer has emailed him the letter of demand tonight (Thursday evening). Tomorrow (Friday), we will serve the notice of demand by hand to Saifuddin.
"If he fails to respond within the stipulated time, we will sue him. It is a must to sue him. We can't simply let him off the hook," Sanusi said during his speech at 'Himpunan Munajat Perdana' here late yesterday.
Present were Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, its vice president Datuk Idris Ahmad and Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
"He accused me of stealing REE. He accused me of using RM1.6 billion Marris allocation meant for road maintenance for other purposes, despite the fact that all the money was from since the Independence (he said) I have used all of the allocation for other purposes.
"He lumped all faults committed by the previous Umno menteri besar administrations before 2014 on me, although I have no idea what had happened (during the time).
"You just wait, Pudin (Saifuddin), you just wait. Good luck in responding. Did he think he is the only one who knows how to attack?" said Sanusi.
In a press conference on July 14 in Penang, Saifuddin was reported as saying that the Kedah government has used part of the Marris allocation meant for road maintenance for development projects in the state.
He was quoted as saying there were weaknesses in Kedah's financial administration as, according to the Constitution, the RM1.6 billion Marris allocation for Kedah was supposed to be only used for road maintenance.
Saifuddin claimed that Sanusi had allegedly used the allocation for other development purposes, hence flouting the government's good financial governance.
He added that after being reprimanded by the Auditor General, Kedah had requested to the finance ministry permission to transfer Marris's allocation balance for development purposes.
Later during a Jelajah Madani in Gurun Kedah on Sunday, Saifuddin had claimed that Sanusi, as the chairman of Kedah Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) has been slapped with a RM500,000 compound by the state Land and Mines Office (PTG) over the theft of rare earth elements minerals in Sik district last October.
In response on Sunday, Sanusi explained that the RM259 million Marris allocation that had not been used was transferred to the state government's fixed deposit.
He claimed that the matter was reported in the financial statement and had been audited by the Auditor General.
Sanusi, who was appointed as the Menteri Besar in 2020 added that the issue raised by the Auditor General referred to the balance of Marris allocation before 2014 and not under his administration.
He had also clarified that MBI was not slapped with the compound by PTG for its involvement in rare earth minerals theft in Kampung Chong in Sik.
Instead, he explained that the RM500,000 compound for stealing rare earth minerals was issued to a man from Kuala Krai, Kelantan, who was caught carrying out illegal mining at the site.
According to Sanusi, MBI was slapped with the compound in the state-owned company's capacity as the holder of a permit issued by the state Forestry Department to operate a forest farming project at the site and not for stealing rare earth minerals.
Following the explanation, Sanusi had said he was contemplating to sue Saifuddin for allegedly defaming the two issues.
Saifuddin had then responded that he welcomed the legal suit by Sanusi, adding that he had proof to support what he had said.