KBN CONGRESS | Kelantan remains poor and dependent on federal help despite its people being skilled entrepreneurs, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
Speaking at the Future of Bumiputeras and the Nation Congress(KBN 2018) this morning, Mahathir said that the state government would not even be able to administer the state without federal assistance.
"I'm sorry to tell the truth. The Kelantan government is not paying for the governance of Kelantan.
"The federal government must help the state government because it doesn't have enough money .. the tax collection there is inadequate.
"The state is poor but its people are smart. A lot of government senior officers hail from Kelantan, including my former secretary. They are very efficient," he told a crowd of thousands at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Mahathir said this situation prevents many of its entrepreneurs from thriving and developing the state in turn.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Ahmad Yakob was in attendance at today's congress, along with de facto Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim, new chief secretary to the government Ismail Bakar, and Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, the moderator for the congress.
Climate of success
The prime minister pointed out that many Kelantanese are able to run successful businesses in other states, but are unable to showcase their talents back home.
"If we look at any states, there will be businesses run by Kelantanese. They are more efficient in running businesses than those from other states. Even workers in Singapore comprise of Kelantanese who stay in Johor.
"The Kelantanese have their own food industry producing, for instance, serunding and dodol. They manufacture a lot of items too. However, the efficient ones are not in Kelantan, but in other states," he said.
"They are efficient, but must be given the right climate in Kelantan, so that the development there can happen.
"There is something wrong there. We need to study and find out why.
Mahathir also noted that the entrepreneurial spirit of Kelantanese women is especially apparent.
"The biggest farm in Kelantan is run by a woman.
"I don't know what the men are doing," he quipped.
Today's congress, according to the Economic Affairs Ministry, will be the basic platform for the government's efforts to formulate a new empowerment agenda for bumiputera. - Mkini
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