SIK: The brother of Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor whose huge bungalow was recently associated with the caretaker Kedah menteri besar has denied claims the residence was worth RM7.8 million.
Shabudin Md Nor, 57, said the bungalow in Kampung Batu Lapan was only worth RM1 million and not as what had been stated in various social media posts.
He said the house was built in February at a cost of RM800,000.
"I built this house using my own hard-earned money from my work as a deep sea diver outside of the country for 27 years after I left the Royal Malaysian Navy.
"In 1996, I took a commercial diving certification course and I have been active in the field since then... most of my work is overseas," he said when met at the bungalow.
Elaborating, the second of 13 siblings said he made the decision to build the bungalow as his mother-in-law's own home here was in bad condition.
He said the family had lived in Sungai Petani, but after his father-in-law died several years ago, they decided to move to Sik.
"My wife and I made the decision to live with her mother in the kampung here (after her father had died), but my mother-in-law died just before Ramadan this year.
"Now, I expect we will move into the bungalow, which was built behind my mother-in-law's old house, sometime this month, before I go back to work again," he said.
Shabudin said the house measured about 370 sq m and had six rooms.
"Actually, I didn't even know that this house became an issue that went viral on Monday, until some friends and acquaintances told me about it. I don't have any social media accounts at all, though my children do.
"To me, this bungalow isn't even that big. There are other bungalows in Sik which are bigger than mine, but because my brother is the menteri besar, this issue was viralised. This was just politically-motivated," he said.
Pictures of the bungalow had, from Monday, been circulating on social media alongside claims that it belonged to Sanusi.
Sanusi had denied the claims and clarified that it actually belonged to his brother, explaining that Shabudin earned a lot of money as a deep sea diver.
Asked what he earned, Shabudin declined comment, but said he was paid in United States dollars.
"I saved my money to build this house... for as long as I have worked, I have always helped out my younger siblings while they were in school, but my elder sister probably did more than I did.
"I actually don't really care about what has been said on social media, but my family and my children feel uncomfortable... our life in this world is only temporary, so nothing is forever," he said.
Asked to comment on Sanusi's statement that he had to "fight with sharks" on the ocean floor, which had been made fun of on social media, Shabudin said it was just a figure of speech.
He said the phrase was just meant to emphasise the challenges he faces when he is working and not meant to be literal.
