KUALA LUMPUR: Only someone lacking in knowledge, or "daif ilmu", will insist that Penang belongs to Kedah, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).

The Deputy Prime Minister said this in response to the latest comments from Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

Ahmad Zahid added that those not ignorant of history would know that Malaysia’s current form was based on agreements in the past and the findings of the Cobbold Commission.

"It is not just the Federal Constitution and the nation’s laws that have to be looked at but also agreements crafted by the British colonial authority of the past," Ahmad Zahid told reporters at the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka here on Wednesday (May 31).

Although Malaysians gained independence from Britain, these agreements were used to form the Federation of Malaya, Ahmad Zahid said.

"This has to be understood, only those who are ignorant of history will bring this issue up."

Muhammad Sanusi had on May 29 repeated his assertion that Penang belonged to Kedah when talking about the state’s latest borders, saying it only had boundaries with Perlis and Perak.

"We will wait for what the Survey and Mapping Department says if there is a basis to certify Kedah’s borders with other states, as far as I know, Penang belongs to Kedah," Kedah Mentri Besar reportedly said.