Perlis sultan billboards spat boils over

An open spat between former Perlis menteri besar Shahidan Kassim and Kangar municipal council chairperson Rosley Mat has escalated over the past week after the latter threatened to lodge a police report and drag Shahidan to court.

According to a report today in the Malay daily Sinar Harian, Rosley alleged that Shahidan (centre in photo) had defamed him.

Rosley claimed that Shahidan had accused him of abusing RM10 million in public funds to put up billboards to “bootlick” the Perlis ruler, and labelled him as a “potential menteri besar”.

“This is serious slander, to humiliate me as a government official, and I’m prepared to bring this matter to court if he still refuses to apologise to me face to face,” he told the daily, adding that the apology message posted on Shahidan’s Facebook page was insufficient.

Malaysiakini found the apology message posted on Jan 5, simply stating “I take simple approach, if I’m wrong, I seek forgiveness”, without referring to any issue.

According to media reports, the spat broke out after Shahidan, who is also the Tambun Tulang assemblyperson, had stated in the last state assembly meeting that Rosley was a potential candidate to assume the menteri besar post.

Although Shahidan later clarified that it was a sincere proposal to “promote” Rosley, the latter insisted it was a biadap (insolent) statement, and demanded an open apology from Shahidan.

“I demand that he openly apologise to me until the end of my life, and if he refuses, we’ll meet in the afterlife,” Sinar Harian quoted him as saying.

Rosley also clarified that the cost to put up billboards promoting the Perlis ruler was merely RM143,000.

Shahidan rebutted by issuing an open ultimatum on Jan 1, in his Facebook page to Perlis Menteri Besar Md Isa Sabu to take action against Rosley before 4pm the next day.

“My current post is Arau Umno division chief; Perlis Umno liaison committee deputy chairperson; state assemblyperson; former menteri besar; and special advisor to the prime minister on NCER (Northern Corridor Economic Region), is it appropriate for an official to talk to me in such language?

Ambition to become next menteri besar

“If the menteri besar does not take any action, it seems like the people and government officials would have a new licence to attack and curse each other,” Shahidan said in the social media website.

However, no action was taken by Md Isa, apart from describing the dispute as “political teasing” which will not affect BN’s preparation in facing the forthcoming general polls.

Today, the spat deepened when Bandar Arau Umno Youth branch chief Syed Atif Syed Abu Bakar challenged Rosley to openly deny that he has no interest to be a candidate in the general election.

"If he is not able to make such a statement, he should openly apologise to Shahidan... to ensure his political survival in achieving his ambition to become Perlis menteri besar.

“Bandar Arau Umno Youth is of the view that accusing Shahidan as biadap without denying his ambition to become an election candidate and secure the seat of menteri besar, is something that is more biadap than biadap,” he said in a statement.

The statement also carried with it several photographs of the Kangar municipal council’s giant billboards, posters and monuments of Perlis ruler.

“The construction of monuments to please (the ruler) is a blatant wastage of public funds and does not bring any benefit to the royal institution, and it is against the instruction of the Perlis Fatwa Council,” he added.