The coalition’s Strategic Communications team said in a statement yesterday that Putrajaya has walked the talk by delivering on their promises, bringing about changes, especially from the aspect of development.
In making its point, the team referred to the PAS-proposed Lebuhraya Rakyat from Kuala Krai to Kota Baru, which it said was launched by the late PAS President Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
The BN Strategic Communications team, which is led by Umno minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan, said that prior to this, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had refused to build any highways in the state as Kelantan was under the opposition.
The situation, the statement said, was different under Prime Minister Najib Razak, with the entire project cost being absorbed by Putrajaya and the highway now being made part of the Federal government’s toll-free 390km Central Spine Road (CSR) project.
“The 390km-long CSR is about half the length of the North-South Highway and for the Federal government to keep it toll-free is a big achievement.
“By the end of this project Kota Bharu, Kuala Krai and Gua Musang will be connected to Bentong via the CSR. The people can then travel from Bentong to Kuala Lumpur via the Karak Highway.
“Several key sections have been opened to traffic while construction is ahead of schedule in other sections,” according to the BN Strategic Communications team.
It added that to date, a 37.4km section of the CSR was already opened to traffic, and besides reducing travel time, it also connected Pahang with Kelantan.
The team said that Putrajaya was working hard to develop the east coast which at present lagged behind the west coast, due to Mahathir’s past decision to keep Kelantan poor.
Besides massive investments on highways, the current BN-led government signed “the decades-delayed water restructuring” scheme to provide clean water in Kelantan, and also embarked on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, meant to “boost freight and passenger connectivity.”
“These are real tangible developments that you can see with your eyes and feel the benefits of.
“These developments not only boost economic development but improve the standard, safety and quality of millions of lives in the East Coast,” the statement added.
The team also lashed out at what they referred to as the “ridiculous opposition mentality” of always putting down the government’s initiatives.
“When the Federal Government started building the toll-free Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah and Sarawak, Pakatan Harapan (PH), in its alternative budget last year said it was better to build a Pan Borneo Rail Link.
“When the Federal government said they wanted to build the ECRL, Hatta Ramli of PH last week said it was better to build highways for the east coast instead.”
The ECRL project which costs RM55 billion has been greatly criticised by opposition leaders, who claim the cost is too high. They also alleged that part of the loan to be taken by the government to fund the project will be used as a bailout for 1MDB.