SUNGAI PETANI – The idea of transforming Kedah into ’The Greater Kedah’ by caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is merely political rhetoric, according to Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the state election.
Umno information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said because of the poor relationship between the state and federal governments, the idea is seen as unrealistic and impossible to realise.
“It will require huge expenditure and investment, as well as commitment from the central government, to make it happen.
“The people have to understand that with the bad relationship between the menteri besar and the federal government, how is he going to realise The Greater Kedah,” he said recently.
Shaiful Hazizy, who is the BN candidate for Tanjung Dawai, said that during the three years of Kedah under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, there was no progress or development that the state could take pride in.
As such, he called on the electors to decide wisely when they go to the polls to exercise their rights on August 12.
It is up to them whether they want to have a leader who is popular or one who can really discharge his responsibility of leading the state, he added.
Sharing Shaiful Hazizy’s views is BN candidate for Pantai Merdeka, Wan Mohalina Wan Mohammad, who said that it would be impossible for The Greater Kedah plan to be implemented if the state government did not get support from the federal government.
“We can talk about all the mega projects, but do we have investors who can execute them? Previously, when the state was under BN, we were able to implement many large-scale projects because we had a good relationship with the federal government.
“This is something that electors need to understand and consider when they go to the polls which is to have a state government that is aligned with the federal government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kedah BN chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid advised electors to vote for leaders who are capable of administering the state effectively instead of those who are popular.
“In Kedah, the majority of the population is Malay, but there are also the Chinese, Indian, and Thai communities, they all need a strong economy. That’s why we have to think, what the state needs is not a populist or someone who is popular.
“We want to be the government, it’s not important to be popular. The important thing is to be able to administer the state for the good of the people,” he said during a PH-BN political talk in Alor Setar last night. – August 7, 2023