BACHOK: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said unlike a previous leader, he does not believe in “punishing” the people of Kelantan for continuously rejecting Barisan Nasional.

“A previous leader said Kelantanese must be punished by reducing allocation.

“But I don’t believe in resorting to that. In fact, I add more allocation.

“Kelantanese are people too. We must help the rakyat,” the Prime Minister said during the Bachok Hospital ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.

He had immediately approved RM56,000 each to build new homes for three poor folks living in dilapidated homes in Bachok. He had visited them earlier.

Najib said RM104mil was allocated to build a three-storey hospital in Bachok, which was the only district in Kelantan without a hospital.

“As a Government, we must be fair. Votes are secondary.

“If we don’t get the vote, we will be rewarded in the afterlife. If we get the vote, the better,” he said.

He called on the rakyat to ignore those out to defame and tarnish his image. He said Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the custodian of two holy mosques, praised Malaysia’s success.

“We want Malaysia to be a developed Islamic country, and not in the backwaters,” he said.

Najib said with greater support, Malaysia could progress further.

“Those who are jealous of us, dissatisfied, and have ill intentions won’t last long.

“In a day or two they may appear as if they are great.

“But they can’t continue with the struggle when the heart is full of anger,” he said.

To an earlier request from Bachok Umno division chief Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, Najib said they could even build a flyover to reduce congestion near the Jelawat market.

“But give us the sweets (votes) first. Can?” he asked the 15,000-strong crowd.

Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister and Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.-thestar