Kedah PN leader tells Saifuddin not to turn REE into political issue

ALOR SETAR - The actions of Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution to publicly disclose information related to rare earth elements (REE) could compromise the investigation and further confuse the people of Kedah.

Kedah Perikatan Nasional (PN) information chief Khairul Anuar Ramli said Saifuddin should leave the matter to the authorities and not use it for political gain.

He said letting the authorities probe the matter before prosecuting anyone is vital.

"The court should decide who is wrong and who is not. Saifuddin must not give the impression that Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor was the one who stole or was complicit because it goes against the Federal Constitution, under Article 5 clause (1), which means that no one can take his life or be deprived of his liberty except by the law," he said here on Sunday.

Khairul Anuar said he hopes all parties submit to the law to determine whether a person is guilty and not be "tried" on a political stage or debate.

"In a recent press conference, Saifuddin, as PKR secretary-general, urged the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and the police to investigate.

"In the same press conference, Saifuddin also admitted that the revelations of the REE were an important issue for the upcoming state polls," he claimed.

According to Khairul Anuar, using such a strategy was unnecessary as the people were knowledgeable and perceptive regarding legal proceedings.

Khairul Anuar also questioned Saifuddin's actions in raising the issue of the second-generation coastal combat ship (LCS) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

"The individual who exposed the LCS issue is the same person, namely Saifuddin. Does everyone still remember Saifuddin's challenge to have the three documents on the LCS project declassified? This issue is suddenly no longer heard after forming a government with Barisan Nasional (BN). Even the allocation was increased from RM6 billion to RM11 billion.

"They used to say that thousands of millions of people's money was lost in the LCS project, now hundreds of millions in the REE project. All this is just rhetoric," he added.

Khairul Anuar, a candidate for the Lunas seat under the PN party, also said the people desire offers that ensure a secure future rather than being presented with only political propaganda.

"Perikatan Nasional has 17 offers in its manifesto for the people of Kedah with the slogan 'Tempat Orang Miskin Berteduh, Tempat Orang Kaya Berbakti'.

"We believe we can fulfil it to turn the state into 'The Greater Kedah' by 2035, as included in the Kedah Development Plan 2035. Our goals are clear, and the direction is also clear. This is what the people want," he said.