Kedah Mb Sanusi S Battle To Capture Penang Will Only Spark Political Instability Civil Unrest

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KEDAH still does not want to admit that Penang is a “sovereign state within the federation” for the simple reason that the state is administered by archfoe DAP.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is preparing for a legal battle to revive his claim that the federal government has to pay RM100 mil to Kedah for the “lease” of Penang Island and Seberang Perai.


And Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is also prepared to meet Sanusi on the legal battlefield in what could be regarded as an unprecedented case of one state attempting to demand an exorbitant amount of money from another sister state in the same federation of Malaysia.

It appears that Kedah is taking an easy and lazy way of boosting its state coffer by trying to “grab” or “extort” RM100 mil from a state that is economically strong and thriving.
However, Kedah does not need the RM100 mil because it is quite rich in terms of investment in its manufacturing sector. It has so much land for multinational companies to set up manufacturing bases compared to Penang which has limited land.
‘More of territorial dispute than lease payment’
In fact, according to the Department of Statistics (DOM), Kedah was the top performing state in the manufacturing sector last year with approved investments in manufacturing totalling RM44.1 bil against Penang’s RM17.3 bil.

Kedah recorded RM4.2 bil in investments in 1Q 2025 with the manufacturing sector contributing the largest share at RM3.9 bil in investments.
Nevertheless, Penang is forging ahead by recording RM15.78 bil in total investments up to September this year – a testimony to its successful exploitation of human talents in developing and expanding its high-value sectors such as designing software, semiconductors, electronics and logistics.
Hence, Penang is a thriving state under DAP leadership and this must surely be riling up Sanusi who is also PAS’ election director. Anything that DAP does – whether at state or federal level – is anathema to the religious fundamentalist party.
One suspects that the core issue is not about lease payment but more about territorial dispute.
Sanusi believes that Penang belongs to Kedah based on some 200-year-old historical record. Therefore, it follows that Penang should be incorporated into Kedah, perhaps, to make Kedah great or greater.



















This is dangerous thinking because it essentially means that Penang will probably lose its statehood once it is swallowed up by Kedah.
‘Gunboat diplomacy’
Penang’s current boundaries will thus be erased and all its cultural and multi-religious and multi-racial characteristics will be buried – along with DAP – in the political graveyard of PAS.
This is a frightening scenario and one that will never materialise because Penangnites will surely put up a brave and stout defence of their birthplace.
What can Sanusi do if DAP refuses to concede to Kedah’s frivolous demand? Will the MB who holds an honorary military rank of first admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy send his gunboats to bombard George Town into submission?

Will he use “gunboat diplomacy” to exact compensation?
Imagine Sanusi wearing his military uniform and standing on the deck of his vessel and eyeing the island with his binoculars in a bid to ferret out Chow – his opponent who is standing beside a row of old but usable cannons along the shores – all primed up to fire and sink the approaching enemy.
This “battle of Penang” will be fought largely between DAP and PAS and whoever emerges the victor will be writing a new chapter in Malaysian history entitled “Sanusi annexes Penang in hard-fought battle” or “Penang sinks Sanusi’s armada”.
Sanusi and all those supporting his claim on Penang including a cantankerous, centenary politician must realise that political instability and civil unrest will not do Malaysia any good.

It is best that all states in the federation move with the flow of the modern times and not dig out some ancient narratives to destroy the peace of the land. 
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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