ALOR STAR: Kedah Umno information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin has clarified that replacing Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor with Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid as the State Development Action Council co-chairman was not illogical.
Shaiful said his suggestion was directed towards Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the cabinet. He asserted that the appointment of the co-chairman was entirely within their prerogative.
"In 2008, when the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak was MB, he was not the Federal Development Council co-chairman.
"At that time, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government could channel development allocations more effectively without the state government," he said in a statement today.
On Sunday (April 21), Shaiful urged the federal government to replace Sanusi with Mahdzir as the council co-chairman to ensure smoother progress of federal government projects in the state.
He said Sanusi's current performance had led to conflicts with the federal government, resulting in politicking and delays in federal government projects in Kedah.
In response, Sanusi said the suggestion was illogical as the council must be co-chaired by the menteri besar and a federal government minister.
As such, Sanusi urged Shaiful to approach issues as a statesman rather than through partisan lenses.
He added that any suggestion to change the council's structure must involve the prime minister.
He also hoped that the leadership of the federal government would not engage in narrow-minded politics when allocating funds to opposition members of parliament.
Commenting further, Shaiful urged Sanusi to adopt a statesmanlike approach in the political arena or during his speeches as menteri besar.
"Regarding allocations and being a statesman, I suggest that the MB incorporate these sentiments of statesmanship and openness onto the political stage and in his speeches.
"When giving speeches, instead of hurling insults and slandering the prime minister, consider the aspect of statesmanship.
"The principles of nation-building are not a licence for the MB to act arbitrarily on political platforms," he added.