KOTA BHARU, July 25 — Kelantan hopes that its government-to-government relationship with the Federal Government will continue to be strengthened in the spirit of federalism, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said today.

He said he had paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad soon after the general election in May that saw Pakatan Harapan topple Barisan Nasional to come to power.

The meeting with the Prime Minister, he said, also touched on the need to continue to safeguard the rights of the Kelantan people, especially in matters which had been decided by the previous Federal Government.

"Insya-Allah (God willing), this relationship can be well established at the departmental level, such as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage,” he said in the State Legislative Assembly at its meeting at the Kota Darul Naim Complex here.

Ahmad was replying to a question from Datuk Mohd Adnan Kechik (BN-Bukit Bunga) who had wanted to know whether the relationship between the state and federal governments had improved following the change of government at the federal level after the general election.

Answering a supplementary question, also from Mohd Adhan, on the remark by Dr Mahathir that BN and PAS were "siblings” because of their alleged good relationship, Ahmad said the relationship was based on the principles contained in the constitution.

"It is not a question of being ‘siblings’ or not, but a matter of us adhering to the principles of federalism. The Federal Government exists because there are states.

"Of most importance is the safeguarding of the people’s rights. Any Federal Government has defined responsibilities and we urge the Federal Government to fulfill our rights,” he said. — Bernama