ALOR STAR – Leaders of the two poorest states in the country, Kelantan and Kedah, should stop blaming others for their states’ economic decline, said Kedah Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Instead, Kedah PH chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar said elected leaders should work on economic growth instead of going around blaming and demanding compensation from other states.
He added that Kedah and Kelantan are in such a state because their leaders do not have the ability to come up with policies to help eradicate poverty.
“There are examples of what other states – Penang, Selangor and Johor – have done. How did these states progress economically? For one, their leaders know when to stop politicking and when to start delivering.”
He hopes that the voters in Kedah and Kelantan can see through the current leaders’ culture of blaming others.
He added that PAS as a party should also take responsibility because it leads both states, which face poor living conditions, limited job opportunities, water supply disruptions and struggles in the agricultural sector.
“I am shocked that Kedah Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Muhammad) Sanusi Md Nor goes around saying that Kedah is made poor because the federal government does not compensate enough for cultivating padi.”
If that is true then Thailand will also suffer the same consequence, he told The Vibes.
Mahfuz, who is former Pokok Sena MP, said agriculture remains an invaluable sector due to the present food shortage made worse by climate change and global supply chain disruptions.
“And if Kedah can fully optimise its fertile lands, the more that the state can contribute to the national gross domestic product.
“It remains to be seen if the voters can see through the racial and religious rhetoric, which is done to hide incompetencies. Elected leaders should work to uplift the standard of living of their constituents.”
Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are heading into state polls later this year. – The VIbes, June 3, 2023
