ALOR SETAR - Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is advised not to play with politics to the point where it disrupts his duties in government.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said Saifuddin’s responsibilities as minister and the Kedah State Development Action Council chairman must be given priority compared to the election campaigns.
He said the agencies under the Home Ministry have an important role in ensuring the nation’s safety is guaranteed and need the minister's full attention to their duties.
"I don’t know when he would perform his ministerial duties. I have advised him to focus on the agencies under the ministries.
"There’s the issue of the Registration Department; 1.2 million Chinese tourists have not returned; the minister is interfering with civil servants’ duties; and much more.
"I think he has a lot of real duties as Home Minister. If you want to campaign, there’s nothing wrong with going for it at night or on your off days.
"You should perform your duties while working," he said in a press conference after chairing the Exco meeting here on Wednesday.
Previously, Saifuddin, who was the Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretary-general, said he would focus on Kedah in the state election other than leading his mission to take over Kedah.
"I urge him (Saifuddin) to come (and takeover Kedah). He’s the State Development Action Council chairman; I'm also the chairman here, but not once has a meeting been held.
"The water surge phenomenon that hit Kampung Iboi could have been resolved if a meeting was held, but he is simply playing politics; none of the work is done. My advice is to stop playing small politics, whether he wants to hear it or not," he said.
Commenting on Saifuddin’s claims that the state government was lied to by a company regarding the Langkawi mega project, Sanusi said the situation was explained several times and implemented by private parties and is not a state government's project.
"The Widad Langkasuka’s investment in the 768 hectares of land in Langkawi is a private project; the state government’s job is to approve the land application, and the company then pays a premium, commitment fee, and land tax. What happens after is the company’s business," he said.
He said the company’s status as a listed company, based in Kuala Lumpur, was not state-owned.
"When they apply for land, we will look at their investment plan, and if the state government is confident of the company’s ability, we will give them the condition of having to pay the premium.
"The state government does not bear any losses; instead, we receive revenue as the company pays an annual land tax," he said.
Sanusi said that the company had announced a total investment of RM40 billion within 15 years.
"Within 15 years, they will develop the project; that’s their matter. Why dispute the private investment that is still in the process? "For the mega project, it takes some time to get a Planning Approval (KM); as I recall earlier this year, approval was given for phase one, understood to be around RM4 billion to build a golf course and housing," he explained.
He said the explanation was made to correct the wrong narrative played by Saifuddin in an election campaign.