Lim Guan Eng (PH-Air Putih), who proposed the motion, said Sanusi’s remarks were akin to “delegitimising” the Federal Constitution.
“If this were to happen to a person, it is as good as someone doubting your citizenship,” he said.
“We demand that Sanusi retract his remarks and apologise to Penangites and Malaysians for being unneighbourly and questioning the legitimacy of the constitution.”
Lim also questioned why Sanusi did not ask for a higher lease payment when Perikatan Nasional was in power.
Penang island and Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai) were leased by the Kedah sultanate to the British in 1791 for 10,000 Spanish dollars. Historical accounts state that the East India Company eventually acquired the land from the sultan of Kedah, in return for military protection and a yearly payment in perpetuity.
The yearly payment, now an honorarium, had been set at RM10,000 for decades, but was raised to RM10 million a year by Putrajaya in 2018.
Sanusi, however, regards the honorarium as “lease payment” and has asked that it be raised to RM100 million a year since Penang was “doing well”.
Lim also tore into Yusni Mat Piah (PN-Penaga), PAS’ sole rep in Penang, for defending Sanusi’s comment.
“If you are a true blue Penangite, you will defend the state. I am upset that Penaga still wants to defend (Sanusi) and is stubbornly holding on to something wrong,” he said.
Yusni had stated that Sanusi had the right to say whatever he wanted and was also supported by Kedah voters, who voted overwhelmingly in support of PAS, which won 14 out of 15 parliamentary seats in the state in the recent general election.
He said the claim that Sanusi had “provoked” Penang was untrue.
Faiz Fadzil (PH-Permatang Pasir) said it was unthinkable for Yusni to support Sanusi over his remarks when he had vowed to protect the rights of Penangites.
Yusni retorted that many who sat in the state assembly were not originally from Penang.
“We are not Penangites, really. Guan Eng is from Johor, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is from Singapore and Chow (Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow) is from Kuala Lumpur,” he said. Saifuddin was born in Singapore before it separated from Malaysia.
The motion to censure Sanusi was also supported by opposition leader Yusoff Noor (BN-Sungai Dua), who said Sanusi should stop to think before commenting.
“Historically, we have been under Kedah. And the Kedah sultan had perhaps signed a deal with the British to fend off Thailand (Siam at the time). I support that the menteri besar ought to think of others before he speaks. Don’t deny Penang’s history,” he said.
Chow (PH-Padang Kota) said Sanusi’s statement was seditious and should be brought to court. He said there was an overwhelming case for Penang, given that Kedah had agreed in 1985 to alter its borders, which was consented to by the Malay rulers.
“I guess it is time to promote a British-Siamese boundary stone in the north of Butterworth as a tourism product. That way, we get to understand our history better,” he said.
Earlier, Chow also proposed two senate nominees from Penang – Dr RA Lingeshwaran, 36, and Amir Ghazali, 51. Both were unanimously accepted by the assembly.
Lingeshwaran is the Sungai Bakap Hospital director, while Amir is former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar’s political secretary.
Meanwhile, speaker Law Choo Kiang said Yusoff will remain the state opposition leader since the state election is expected to be called soon.