KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s honorary military title should be revoked after he allegedly insulted the Sultan of Selangor, said PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

According to Malaysiakini, Saifuddin, who is also the home minister, said that Sanusi had been disrespectful to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is also the Royal Malaysian Navy’s captain-in-chief, and that it was only right to revoke his honorary navy rank as first admiral which he received in 2021.

"Sanusi has an honorary rank; he is not in the Navy, but he has an honorary title. The Selangor Sultan is its chief. Suddenly, he has gone to insult his royal highness, so I believe it is time for the Armed Forces Council to review Sanusi’s honorary privileges because perhaps it’s time to revoke it,” he said.

"Revoke it, for disrespecting the Selangor Sultan,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini during a ‘live’ broadcast of a ceramah during the party’s election machinery launch for the Suka Menanti constituency.

Sanusi, who is also the caretaker Kedah menteri besar, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with sedition for his remarks allegedly insulting the Sultan. He also faces a separate sedition charge for his remarks about the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Sanusi had on July 11 allegedly said that the Kedah Ruler would not have appointed Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari as Selangor menteri besar.

Following various reports, including by the Selangor Royal Council, Sanusi said he had sent a letter of apology to the Selangor Ruler, but claimed that his speech had been taken out of context by his political rivals.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin also asked Sanusi to explain the role of two Chinese nationals purportedly associated with Menteri Besar Kedah Incorporated’s (MBI Kedah) rare earth project.

Saifuddin said that the two workers sponsored by MBI Kedah were "suspicious”, as one has gone missing, while the other was arrested earlier this year for trespassing a forest reserve along with over 380 bags of rare earth ore.

"That is not exploration. That is theft,” he was also quoted as saying.

Yesterday, the MACC arrested a top official at MBI Kedah and a company director to facilitate investigations into allegations of the theft of rare earth element (REE) resources from the Bukit Enggang forest reserve in Sik, Kedah.