SEBERANG PERAI, July 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has strongly condemned Perikatan Nasional election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor over remarks suggesting that different ethnic groups in Malaysia could fall back on ancestral homelands outside the country.
According to FMT, the Pakatan Harapan chairman said no leader should make statements that could offend other races, stressing that the Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian communities are loyal citizens who respect the Federal Constitution.
“The Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian communities respect the constitution and are loyal citizens. This is something we should embrace as our nation’s strength,” Anwar told reporters after opening SMK Agama Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin in Berapit, Bukit Mertajam, today.
“I totally disagree with any statement that insults or ignores the role played by any race in our country,” he added.
Sanusi, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar, has drawn flak from several leaders over his remarks made two days ago at a ceramah for the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign.
The PAS leader had reportedly suggested that non-Malay communities in Malaysia could rely on their countries of ancestral origin should they face difficulties in the country — a remark widely interpreted as questioning the loyalty and commitment of Malaysian Chinese and Indians to the nation.
Sanusi’s remarks have also sparked backlash from within the Perikatan Nasional coalition itself. MIC president Datuk Seri S.A. Vigneswaran has called for Barisan Nasional to review its electoral pact with PN for the Aug 11 state polls, expressing concern that such rhetoric undermines efforts to build a multiracial consensus.
Meanwhile, P. Punithan, president of PN component party Malaysian Indian People’s Party, also rejected Sanusi’s remarks, saying Malaysia was the only country he considered home.
The Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for Aug 11, with campaigning entering its final stretch amid growing tensions over racial rhetoric.
Date: 25 July, 2026 3:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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