Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, the 14th Menteri Besar of Kedah, has been a polarizing figure in Malaysia since assuming office in 2020, largely due to the numerous controversies surrounding his tenure.

Rare-earth metal (REE) deposits In early December 2020, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced that the Kedah state government had granted a permit to a Kuala Lumpur-based company to prospect and extract rare earth metals valued at RM43 trillion. However, further investigation revealed that the deposits were only worth an estimated RM62 billion.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) accused Muhammad Sanusi of intentionally courting controversies and being provocative to divert attention from the rare-earth deposit issue.

In October 2022, Kedah's Director of Lands and Mines issued a compound fine of RM500,000 to his administration over the alleged theft of rare earth minerals in Kampung Chong, Kedah.

In July 2023, fresh allegations emerged against Muhammad Sanusi, linking him to corruption related to the theft of rare earth elements (REE) in the Sik district. Subsequently, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) launched an investigation into the alleged theft.

Incidents of racism

Alcoholism remarks The media have criticized Muhammad Sanusi for his alleged derogatory remarks about minority communities, particularly the Indian community, linking them with alcoholism. In his speeches, he had stated that the opposition was "drunk on the toddy of popularity" without explicitly referencing any community. However, the statement sparked protests from minority groups, who demanded a public apology, as it was perceived to link alcoholism with certain communities.

Sanusi refused to apologize and instead called for a ban on the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) party. In response, the MIC chairman, Tan Sri Vigneswaran, remarked, "this is what happens when you pick an ignorant man to be [an] MB".

Football remarks During a press conference for the Malaysian football club Kedah FA, Muhammad Sanusi, acting as the club's president, made racial remarks about its foreign players, referring to them as "Awang Hitam," which translates to "black man" (with Awang meaning "man" in Malay). The term is also considered derogatory, as it has been historically used by certain media outlets to identify African men in a negative context.

Demolition of Hindu Temples

Sanusi's administration enforced the demolition of illegally constructed Hindu temples, despite protests from the Indian community. This became a nationwide issue, with many political leaders, religious leaders, and NGO representatives criticizing his actions as insensitive toward Hindus. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) suggested that the real motive behind the demolitions was to divert attention from the earlier controversy surrounding rare earth deposits. However, some supported Sanusi's actions, arguing that the demolitions were carried out in accordance with the law.

The Coalition of Hindu NGOs urged Sanusi to halt the demolitions and issue a public apology, warning that they would escalate the matter to the Palace if their demands were ignored. During a press conference, the coalition representatives requested Sanusi to guarantee an immediate stop to the demolitions. Sanusi, however, responded that the actions were being carried out under the purview of the law.

Participants in the press conference called on the government to be more proactive, sensitive, and to establish a framework to protect the rights of the Hindu community in Malaysia. Navindran Palasendaram, president of the United Malaysian Hindu Voice (UMHV), declared the organization's willingness to collaborate with the government to find a permanent solution to the challenges faced by Hindu temples and communities.

2026 "Tanah Melayu" campaign remarks controversy During an election campaign speech in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, on July 23, 2026, Kedah Menteri Besar and Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor generated political and legal controversy when he stated that non-Malay communities possessed ancestral homelands such as China and India, whereas ethnic Malays only had Tanah Melayu (Land of the Malays). The remarks drew strong criticism across the political spectrum, with political opponents and civil society groups accusing Sanusi of deploying divisive rhetoric touching on race, religion, and royalty (3R issues) and casting doubt on the national belonging of non-Malay Malaysian citizens. Following the incident, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) opened an investigation into the speech under Section 505 of the Penal Code for statements conducive to public mischief and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. In response to the criticism, Sanusi defended his statements on July 27, 2026, maintaining that his reference to Tanah Melayu reflected historical terminology used in 1940s and 1950s British parliamentary debates and arguing that highlighting the historical homeland of the Malays did not deny or alter the constitutional rights and citizenship of non-Malay Malaysians. Concurrently, Sanusi issued a legal Letter of Demand (LOD) through his attorneys to Pakatan Harapan (PH) Selangor election director Dr. Sathia Prakash Nadarajan, alleging that Sathia had misrepresented his speech by falsely claiming Sanusi had instructed non-Malays to leave the country. Sathia subsequently acknowledged an error regarding the exact phrasing attributed to Sanusi, while stating that he stood by his interpretation regarding the implied political message of the campaign address.

Water conflicts between Kedah and Penang The Muda River forms a natural boundary between Kedah and the neighboring state of Penang. It serves as a crucial water catchment area for both states, with Penang sourcing over 80% of its raw water supply from the river.

In December 2020, Muhammad Sanusi threatened to dam and redirect the river away from Penang unless the Penang government paid Kedah RM50 million annually as compensation. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow rejected the demand, citing the state's riparian rights. In response, Sanusi remarked that he would "get villagers to place sandbags to choke off the water supply to Penang."

Tensions between the two states escalated further in March 2021 when Sanusi again threatened that Penang would only receive "mud" instead of water and expressed his readiness to take the matter to court.

The ongoing dispute prompted Penang authorities to reduce the state's reliance on the Muda River. They began negotiating with Perak for alternative water sources, which resulted in an agreement for Perak to supply treated water from the Kerian River to Penang.

Thaipusam holiday On 21 January 2021, Muhammad Sanusi announced that the Thaipusam festival would not be marked as a public holiday in Kedah that year due to the spike in COVID-19 cases and the prohibition of public gatherings. He stated that state assembly service centers would be allowed to operate via drive-through services to serve people in their respective constituencies. Additionally, temple prayers during the festival would be permitted, but only one-third of devotees would be allowed to attend.

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) described Sanusi's decision as illogical and disrespectful to the rights of the country's minority communities. Meanwhile, MIC Deputy President Datuk Seri M. Saravanan stated that the decision sent a negative message about PAS to all minorities in the country.

"He has planted the seed of fear in the minds of all minorities," remarked Vell Paari, former MIC secretary-general. He criticized the PAS central leadership for attempting to portray the party as inclusive while allowing such actions. He also condemned PAS for accusing MIC of not supporting the party during the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018. Vell Paari reminded Sanusi that during GE14, PAS was not a component of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Arrests of critics and COVID-19 'Corpse Joke' In August 2021, four individuals were arrested for allegedly insulting Muhammad Sanusi over his controversial "joke" about using freezer containers to store the corpses of COVID-19 victims. The first arrest involved a 61-year-old senior citizen who was detained at his home in Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan, at 3:57 a.m. He was then transported to Sungai Petani, Kedah, over 400 kilometers away, following a police report lodged by Sanusi's special officer, Azizan Hamzah.

Two more individuals were arrested in Mergong Perdana and Kepala Batas after allegedly making offensive comments about Sanusi on Facebook. The fourth arrest was of an IT analyst from Taiping, whose pregnant wife publicly criticized the situation, saying, "I feel that you don’t need to be a MB if you cannot take criticism. Better to just sit down and look through FB comments all day."

The arrests and questioning of citizens for criticizing a publicly elected official drew widespread condemnation from the Malaysian public, the Centre for Independent Journalism, opposition politicians, and even a Federal Minister from the ruling government.

Termination of 4-D lottery license In November 2021, Muhammad Sanusi sparked another controversy when he announced that the renewal of 4D licenses in Kedah would be halted. He stated, "This move is to ensure that Kedah will be free from gambling." Additionally, he mocked the state of Penang, saying, "Those who want to buy (4-D lottery numbers) can go to Penang".

'Obscene Speech' in Penang

In early June, just weeks before the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly in six states, including Kedah, Sanusi made a speech that sparked another controversy during his visit to a PN political talk program in Permatang Pauh. While addressing the crowd, he remarked that none of the Chinese men in Kedah were told to circumcise. A video of his speech, which went viral, showed that Sanusi used a term in the Hokkien dialect referring to the male reproductive organ.

As a result of his statement during the talks, hundreds of police reports were filed, citing the seriousness of the issue. Penang DAP Women's Chief and Sungai Pinang DAP state representative, Lim Siew Khim, lodged a police report at the Penang Northeast District station. She called for further action to be taken by the authorities against Sanusi for his inappropriate behavior and "foul jokes."

Another police report was filed by Penang DAP MP for Bukit Bendera and Seri Delima state representative, Syerleena Abdul Rashid, at the Dang Wangi District Police in Kuala Lumpur, accompanied by DAP MP for Bangi, Syahredzan Johan. She stated that Sanusi's remarks were disgusting, especially given that he was the state's most senior leader and should never have made such comments. Syerleena warned that the words spread by Sanusi during the political roadshow could have negative implications for society, as they could influence the audience—whether women, children, or even young people—in a harmful way.

The sole Pakatan Harapan PKR MP for Kedah, Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, criticized Sanusi's speech, calling it a reflection of poor behavior and even describing him as an illiterate and uncivilized leader. In a statement to the press, Dr. Taufiq emphasized that Sanusi's actions did not represent the people of Kedah, who should not be associated with such behavior. He clarified that Kedahans are not rude, as politeness and good manners are integral parts of their culture. Dr. Taufiq also urged Sanusi to set a better example as a senior leader, given that Sanusi held a more senior position than him.

Claiming Penang as part of Kedah