ALOR STAR: Caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md has threatened to file another lawsuit against Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for defamation.
Sanusi said he would file the suit should the PKR secretary-general keep linking him with facilitating the entrance of a Chinese citizen sought in connection with the rare earth elements (REE) mineral theft in Kedah.
Sanusi reiterated his claim that, the Chinese man, identified as So Loi Fat, was in the country even before he was was appointed as the menteri besar in 2020.
"This is clearly baseless allegations. If this persists, we will take legal action again.
"Let's gather all the lawsuits and pile them together in a box," he told reporters after campaigning for Perikatan Nasional candidates in Alor Malai Flats here today.
He was responding to Saifuddin's demands for him to explain why he had recently denied any knowledge of the man, despite signing a letter to the then home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin to facilitate the man's application to enter the country in 2020.
Yesterday, Saifuddin revealed a photo of Sanusi with a Chinese citizen wanted in connection with the rare earth elements (REE) mineral theft in Kedah.
In response, Sanusi, who is also Perikatan Nasional election director, said that So, who is allegedly involved in the theft of rare earth elements (REE) in Sik, has been in country before 2020.
Sanusi maintained that he lacks any information about So's entry into the country.
He suggested that So might have even entered the country independently to seek mining opportunities for the minerals.
"I don't know, I don't know... It's not necessary for someone to bring him in, he is looking for business, he knows where minerals (REE) are located in the entire world, he's not dumb," he added.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Sanusi said he cannot disclose any further information about Indonesian investor 'Reza Khalid', whom he allegedly claimed to have met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regarding the REE mining site in Kedah.
"I cannot reveal anything beyond that; I have never met him (Reza Khalid). I was only contacted by his representatives, not him," he added.
During his speech at a PN rally in Naka yesterday, Sanusi claimed that the investor from Indonesia had visited Kedah with Anwar to discuss about REE mining site in the state before the 15th General Election (GE15) held in November.
Sanusi also claimed that the businessman had approached him through a middleman offering to sponsor hundreds of cattle for the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration in June, but he had turned down the offer fearing that it would considered as corruption ahead of the state polls.
#kw Sanusi, REE, Saifuddin, legal action, again, defamation