I Vote For Development

Speculation is rife over when the General Election will be held. The cabinet is taking their group photo today, further stoking the fire of speculation. After Chinese New Year? After OIC?

Whenever it is, the main battlefront will be Kelantan as always. In recent memory I can only remember Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan ever falling to the opposition's hands. Even then they were won back soon enough. But that is not the case for Kelantan. The coalition lost it in 1990, and has been trying to win it back for the past 17 years.

Let's be straight, I come from a pro-UMNO family. But that does not mean we're pro-government blindly. We criticize when need be, and support accordingly too. As for me myself, I am an UMNO sympathizer. I'm not yet a member in any form, so I regard myself as a sympathizer. My reason is not because of my family, or not because I'm a conformist. I just think the opposition doesn't have what it takes to rule our nation. I wished Keadilan would be less activist-oriented and then maybe the coalition will have a stronger opponent. Not everyone believe in revolution as the way to go.

All that aside, I actually wanted to talk about my homestate Kelantan. Would I want BN to finally wrestle it back from PAS, or would I prefer the status quo stay unchanged? I vouch for the latter. No, I'm not confused over where my allegiance lie. I will tell you why.

Since the last election, a lot have changed. Maybe the slight advantage in the last GE opened the eyes of both sides - PAS thought they had to improve to keep the state, BN thought they should do more to finally deliver the coup de grace. In essence, both parties will do their utmost to develop this so called underdeveloped, poorest state in Malaysia. I say let them slug it out for, maybe, the next 20 years?

As for Kelantan itself, it spelt good fortune. I've seen the rapid development of Kota Bharu (I can't speak for other places, I'm a born and bred KB boy) in the past few years. When the PKINK building downtown used to be the tallest (which is actually not that tall, mind), it has now been surpassed by at least 3-4 buildings. And there's more to come. The only shopping to be done in KB in those days were at Parkson (in their old reincarnation, not the newly redesigned look), Pantai Timur or Hankyu Jaya. No shopping malls to speak of, departmental stores were as good as it gets.

Now? Kota Seri Mutiara was developed first and was launched as KB's first shopping mall. Soon enough KB Mall followed suite, instantly rendering KSM into your neighbourhood Ampang Point equivalent. Early this month, Tesco opened its' doors as the first establishment in the new development belt comprising of the riverside area (Bawah Lembah) and across the river to include Pasir Pekan and possibly Wakaf Bharu as well. Another shopping mall (Pelangi Mall) is still under construction, located nicely near the old town of Kota Bharu. Meanwhile downtown, Giant is making its' presence felt as well. They will be the anchor tenant of the Kota Bharu Trade Center where the Parit Dalam night market used to be. Kelantan Trade Center on the other hand is being constructed beside the renowned Hotel Perdana and the specialist hospital. KBTC will be a commercial and residential project while KTC will be a convention center plus an office block and an apartment block. Several apartment and condos have been completed as well, some without me even noticing the construction period. Not mentioning the nicely designed new airport to replace the aging old one beside it.

What's next? Time will tell. If the plans for the proposed Port goes into action, things should pick up more. Yes we have oil too.

Now you see why I want things to stay the way they are?