MACHANG, July 6 — The Kelantan government has been urged to work with the Federal Government to resettle residents living along Sungai Golok, Rantau Panjang in order to curb drug smuggling along the Kelantan-Thailand border areas.
Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said this proposal was impossible to implement in the near future without the collaboration of both parties.
“The Federal Government needs the land which is under the state government to build homes to settle the affected residents,” he told reporters after a Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering of the Machang Parliamentary Constituency at his residence here today.
Last Tuesday, Deputy Prime MInister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed that the residents living along Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang which borders Thailand should be resettled to curb drug smuggling through illegal bases and private jetties along the river.
Ahmad Jazlan who is also Deputy Chairman of the Kelantan Umno Liaison Body said the Federal Government could afford to build homes for these residents through several programmes including the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme for those categorised as hardcore poor and the People’s Mesra Homes for the middle-incomed. — Bernama
