CHUKAI: The unity government never neglected Terengganu and continued to channel aid directly to its people even though the state is run by the Opposition.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the people in the state continued to enjoy Federal Government aid, including the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) totalling RM241.8mil, distributed to 390,210 Terengganu residents this year.
"Terengganu farmers also received aid, including through Bernas or the Aidilfitri special aid to 4,483 farmers totalling RM4.6mil, along with welfare aid of RM1.28mil to 23,620 people.
"Previously, Terengganu enjoyed a lot of assistance, so we would like to continue this and it will be good if there’s other aid like rural roads, aid for house repairs, classroom upgrades, and for townships and traditional villages," he told reporters after visiting the Kampung Mak Chili district voting centre here today as part of campaigning for the Kemaman parliamentary by-election between Barisan Nasional candidate Gen (R) Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mohktar of PAS.
The Umno supreme council member said that if BN wins the by-election on Dec 2, he believed that Kemaman would reap many benefits and improvements, such as what it received when it was represented by Barisan previously.
"It would be good to have a bridge to negotiate matters because if the Menteri Besar wins... at the Dewan Rakyat, he’s still the Opposition so let’s have a leader from the government," he said.
Ahmad also reminded the Barisan machinery campaigning in the by-election not to let the 27,000-vote majority loss during the 15th general election stop them from winning this time around as nothing was impossible in national politics, and that the former Chief of Defence Force had a good chance of prevailing against PAS.
"We need a bridge between the central government and the state so let’s have a strong bridge who grew up in Kemaman to connect us.
"Let’s not burn the only bridge we want to build," he added. - Bernama
