'Kelantan will not be marginalised as long as I am PM' - Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has given his assurance that the Federal Government will not marginalise Kelantan in the development of the people and the state.

He said the people of Kelantan need not worry because via the federal government which is under UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN), Kelantan would still get fair and equitable consideration.

"Kelantan will get a fair and equitable consideration as long as I am Prime Minister of Malaysia," he said at a 'Leader with the People' programme in conjunction with the opening of the Rantau Panjang UMNO division delegates meeting here, today.

About 20,000 locals and delegates of the division were present at the event which was also attended by State UMNO Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, who is also Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Rantau Panjang UMNO division chief Datuk Abdullah Mat Yassin were also present.

Najib, who is also UMNO president, said the UMNO-led BN government would be fair to all states, what more Kelantan, which needs help due to the incapability of the PAS-led state gsovernment.

"The capability of the (Kelantan) state government is limited. Furthermore, there is a lot of hanky panky too.

"But what is good we say so because we think about the future of Muslims as there are areas where PAS and UMNO can cooperate," he said.

"There are also PAS leaders who defended me. Recently, when defamatory remarks were hurled against me daily, a PAS leader said Datuk Najib cannot be regarded as guilty unless it is proven, this is an Islamic principle," he said.

Najib also urged UMNO members not to be "afraid to die" in their support for the sake of the party's struggle for religion, race and nation.

He said there were several types of supporters in politics, namely weak supporters, hardcore supporters and those willing to stake their lives for the party.

During the ceremony, the Prime Minister announced that a four-lane 16km-long federal road from Rantau Panjang town to Pasir Mas would be constructed under the 11th Malaysia Plan.