'Criticise PM reasonably', Hassan tells Sanusi

SHAH ALAM - Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor was urged to be moderate in his speech when criticising the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on poverty issues.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said the allegations were inaccurate because he has seen Anwar's actions to help poor farmers as a prime minister.

"According to Sanusi, Anwar does not know about poverty because he is not from a poor family and he has also attended Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), an elite school.

"Has Sanusi forgotten that one of Anwar's first actions as Prime Minister was to discuss with Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar, the owner of Bernas who has an import permit (AP) to import rice, returning part of his profits worth RM100 million to help poor rice farmers?" he questioned in a statement on Facebook on Monday.

Moreover, Hassan said Sanusi, as a leader, must agree that it is not necessary to live in poor conditions to know the meaning of poverty.

He added that it would be nice if Sanusi could extend a hand of friendship to the prime minister, who is leading the Federal Government.

"We (including Sanusi) should be grateful and continue to pray to Allah so that our current prime minister continues to remain strong and consistent in fighting for the fate of the poor.

"Since Anwar was young, since he was only in his twenties, he had been fighting against poverty faced by the people until he was imprisoned for two years under the ISA," he said.