Editorial: Out of the cold
22 Aug 2006
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KELANTAN is so different in so many ways that the East Coast State
sometimes feels like a different country to people from other States.
As if their distinct dialect, their taste for budu, or their other
distinguishing traits are not enough to set them apart from other
Malaysians, the people of Darul Naim have also demonstrated a
singular predilection for a puritanical interpretation of Islam which
insists, among other things, on segregating the sexes. Partly because
of the popularity of Pas among the voters through the years, Kelantan
remains an economic backwater. Although it is blessed with natural
resources, and enterprising and entrepreneurial women, Kelantan is
one of the poorest States. Investors have stayed away because of the
lack of incentives and opportunities, and thousands of Kelantanese
have been driven to making a living and seeking their fortunes
outside the State.
But with the Verandah of Mecca designated as part of the Eastern
Development Corridor under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, things are set to
change. New business opportunities are in the offing, the investment
climate can be expected to improve, and the agriculture sector is
primed for a big boost once the master plan for the new growth centre
is ready.
The Prime Minister's visit to the last bastion of the conservative
Islamic party, and his assurance to the people of Kelantan that their
political preference will have no bearing on their right to
development, is significant. It sends a clear signal that regional
development would be on the basis of need, not on the basis of
political considerations. The largest single allocation set aside for
the East Coast corridor under the 9MP is testimony that, irrespective
of which party forms the State Government, poorer States and regions
would get the additional federal money that they require.
While regional development has always been part and parcel of the
national economic strategy, development has tended to concentrate
around urban conurbations. Many people in Kelantan have not benefited
from the expanded economic cake of the last 20-odd years. It is time
to bring Kelantan out of the cold of under-development and not treat
it as hostile territory simply because the people exercised their
democratic right in elections. But this will require a change of tack
and a different attitude from Pas as well. Much will depend on its
willingness and ability to forge a working relationship with the
Barisan Nasional. Improved Federal-State relations are essential if
the Eastern Development Corridor is to bring the benefits it
promises.//NST
***Satu pandangan dari pengarang NST***
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