GE15: Development in Gua Musang should keep pace with populace - Ku Li

GUA MUSANG: Development in Gua Musang must keep pace with the income and capability of the populace because a mismatch will only benefit other parties, said Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Tengku Razaleigh, or more affectionately known as Ku Li, said the progress of development is subjective and it should keep pace with the standard of living of the local residents.

"Hence, if we do something beyond the people's ability (to adapt), others will benefit," he said at his residence near Bukit Cekati here today.

Commenting further, Tengku Razaleigh who is also the longest-serving Member of Parliament from BN (12 terms since 1974) in the constituency, noted that too many changes have been made by BN as compared to its initial opening where development was relevant to the pace and ability of the people to change.

He said that one of the developments he had undertaken was the establishment of the South Kelantan Development Authority (KESEDAR) headquarters - which serves to balance the composition of the populace between the southern and western regions, as well as to eradicate the poverty of the overall population.

"This clearly proves that the government has provided a comfortable life for the people in Gua Musang such as the issue of land distribution to settlers of oil palm plantation here, which in turn allowed 2,228 settlers from nine areas of the KESEDAR Land Development Plan (RKT) to receive land lots in their own names," he said.

Ku Li will be writing his own history when he contests for the 13th time to defend the Gua Musang parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15), as he faces three candidates from PAS, Pejuang and PKR.

In GE14, Tengku Razaleigh won the seat with a majority of 3,913 votes, defeating his challengers from PAS and PKR.

-- BERNAMA