Nearly all federal project requests for Kelantan approved thanks to good ties - MB

 

Kelantan Menteri Besar Nassuruddin Daud today said that Putrajaya has approved almost all development and infrastructure projects his state administration had requested.

The PAS leader's admission in the Kelantan state assembly comes just days after Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir rejected claims that Putrajaya had sidelined Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, citing billions of ringgit in federal development commitments to the four states.

Nassuruddin said close cooperation between federal and state agencies helped secure approvals for major infrastructure projects.

"We have received approval for almost everything we requested, including the Lebir Dam. I would like to express my gratitude because once these projects are completed, job opportunities will also be created," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Among the approved projects he cited were a 400m runway extension at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa and a proposed extension of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) from Kota Bharu to Rantau Panjang, near the Thai border.

During a visit to Kota Bharu yesterday, Anwar also reportedly announced RM250 million in federal funding to complete the Kota Bharu Integrated Bus Terminal, or KB Sentral.

PM Anwar Ibrahim and Kelantan MB Nassuruddin Daud during his visit to the Muhammadi Mosque in Kota Bharu yesterday

Responding to a supplementary question from Salor assemblyperson Saizol Ismail, Nassuruddin stressed that cooperation between the two administrations was essential to addressing development challenges and improving people's incomes.

"Development and infrastructure issues that need to be prioritised require joint decisions. Through discussions, we can identify the actual problems on the ground.

"There are no problems that cannot be resolved, as all issues can be addressed through discussions, and relations between federal and state government agencies in Kelantan are also very good," he said.

SG4 seeks bigger share

His positive assessment of federal-state cooperation contrasts with concerns raised by four Perikatan Nasional-led states under the SG4 economic grouping over what they consider insufficient development allocations for less-developed states.

On Oct 29, Bachok MP Syahir Che Sulaiman urged the federal government to review its development allocation formula to ensure that Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis received adequate attention.

During the Dewan Rakyat debate on Budget 2027, the PAS lawmaker argued that the four states, together with Sabah and Sarawak, should receive at least 50 percent of basic federal development expenditure.

He claimed that the RM21 billion earmarked for the six states next year represented only 37 percent of what should have been set aside for them.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir

However, Akmal rejected allegations of unequal treatment, pointing out that federal development expenditure in the SG4 states in 2025 amounted to RM7.7 billion, compared with the four state administrations’ combined development allocations of about RM1.13 billion.

He said Putrajaya had approved 1,487 projects worth RM71.52 billion for the four states under the 13th Malaysia Plan.

For Kelantan alone, the minister cited 509 development projects costing RM31.21 billion under the 2027 rolling plan, compared with 280 projects worth RM33.2 billion for Penang.

Akmal maintained that federal development allocations should be assessed according to individual states' needs and the objective of narrowing regional development gaps, rather than comparing figures alone.

He also cited federal funding for industrial infrastructure in Tok Bali, Kelantan, and Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah as examples of Putrajaya's commitment to supporting development in the opposition-led states. - Mkini