The Deputy Chief Minister of Kelantan has recently made a bold statement regarding the level of safety within the state.
This comes after he cited data provided by a government agency which seemed to support his claim.
‘Kelantan’s the 2nd safest state in M’sia’
During at sitting at the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly today, deputy chief minister Datuk Dr. Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the latest report on crime index by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) showed the state recorded a score of 96 per 100,000 population.
He added index crimes include offences such as violence, murder, robbery, theft, and rape.
In addition, statistics show that Sabah is the safest state with a crime index of 95 per 100,000 population. If we look at the report, there is not much difference between Kelantan and Sabah.
“We can proudly share the results of this social index study, and there is no reason for it to be politicised,” he said.
Mohamed Fadzli was responding to a supplementary question from Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim (BN-Galas) regarding the state government’s achievements in upholding the spirit of ‘Developing with Islam’.
Addressing drug abuse rates
Meanwhile, Mohamed Fadzli acknowledged that Kelantan recorded a relatively high crime index related to drug abuse but assured that various measures are being taken to curb the problem.
“The government has, from time to time, taken various initiatives such as establishing the halaqah dakwah units, implementing entertainment control enactments, closing gambling outlets, and regulating alcohol sales.
“We have also made adjustments to certain cultural practices in Kelantan that contradict Islamic principles such as Makyong performances, wayang kulit, and others.
“All of these are among the evidences of the state government’s achievements in embracing the philosophy of ‘Developing with Islam’” he said.
Aside from drug abuse, Kelantan’s also grappling with underage marriages: