Federal Govt won’t leave rural areas behind, says Zahid

JELI: The Federal Government is committed to a variety of development programmes in rural areas to benefit the people, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the Government would like to see a balanced development between the urban and rural areas so that no places would be left lagging behind.

“The existence of a university campus in the rural areas, such as here in Jeli, is one of the catalysts for progress and will also heighten the (quality of ) social life in the surrounding areas,” he said when opening the Meet the Deputy Prime Minister event with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan ( UMK) undergraduates at its Jeli campus here yesterday.

Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, who is also UMK Mentor Minister.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the Government under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had never sidelined any state, even though Kelantan is not ruled by Putrajaya.

“However, being the concerned government, Putrajaya is willing to develop the backward areas despite (the area) being ruled by a different political party,” he added.

He also said UMK had been one of the Government’s development projects to help the people to become progressive.

Through UMK, the field of science was expanded to the rural areas in the Government’s efforts to produce more professionals, he added.

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who made a one-day visit to Kelantan, later handed over contributions to 23 tithe recipients in Kampung Wakaf Zin, Ayer Lanas.

He also spent time chatting with three people with chronic diseases. — Bernama