KUALA KEDAH - Caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has said that harmony between the state government and the federal government requires cooperation from both parties.
The Kedah Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman said some parties have claimed that he is unwilling to harmonise with the federal government, but he has actually sent three letters to the federal government with no response.
"Harmony cannot be one-sided. If I want it, but they don't, then there is no harmony.
"They want harmony, but the way they handle it is not harmonious. To achieve harmony, it must come from both parties," he said.
Sanusi made these remarks during a meet and greet programme at the Taman Sri Kota Polling District Unit yesterday.
He also said that he speaks well in his capacity as the Kedah Menteri Besar, and this should be distinguished from when he speaks as the Director of Elections for PN.
"It's not arrogance, I speak on behalf of my state, my people, and my responsibilities. This is the job of a Menteri Besar," he explained.
Meanwhile, Sanusi noted that a Menteri Besar needs to have the courage to speak up for the interests of the people in his state.
"A Menteri Besar must speak up, so that people hear the voice from the state.
"In the past, nobody cared about the Kedah Menteri Besar; no one paid attention. This courage is rare, so you have to treasure someone who is courageous. This kind of person cannot be bought in stores or borrowed from anywhere," he said.
In the same context, Sanusi said that they are currently focused on converting the "rice bowl state" into "The Greater Kedah".
"Now, we refer to efforts to build 'The Greater Kedah,' as outlined from 2021 to 2035.
"Insya-ALLAH, Kedah will emerge as a great state just as it was when it was built by our ancestors.
"Kedah is a state that was a center of trade, a center for preaching and a center for spreading Islam throughout the archipelago," he said.
He added that Kulim International Airport (KXP) is one of the projects that will drive the development of "The Greater Kedah", but it has faced obstacles from certain parties.
According to him, KXP will transform the economic landscape of Kedah, even though there are efforts to block it so that Kedah remains just an agricultural state for rice cultivation.