Demit candidates: From left, Datuk Ismail Ghani (PH-Amanah) and Mohd Asri Mat Daud (PAS). -Bernamapic
KOTA BARU: The two candidates contesting in Demit want the Federal Government to recognise the town as a royal town for its rich heritage and beautiful palaces.
PH-Amanah Demit candidate Datuk Ismail Ghani said Demit already had two palaces built for the royal family and would be perfect as a royal town.
"Demit has two palaces, one is the Royal Palace of Sultan Muhammad V, and another is the Crown Castle which was the official residence of the former Sultan of Kelantan.
"It is important for Demit, specifically Kubang Kerian, to be recognised as such because it will bring more development for its residents such as better roads, street lights, cleanliness and more," he said during a press conference at the Amanah office here.
Ismail, who is a former businessman, said making Demit a royal town was one of three development plans he promised voters if he won in the coming state elections.
The other two plans included refurbishing the town's abandoned buildings and developing its rural areas.
On Thursday (Aug 3), Pas Demit candidate Mohd Asri Mat Daud echoed Ismail's statement saying that the state government had been in the process of building Bandar DiRaja Al-Muhammadi in Kubang Kerian since 2017.
"The royal town will be 480ha large and more than 300ha will involve Demit," he said during a press conference.
"Bandar DiRaja Al-Muhammadi will include both the Royal Palace and Crown Castle and it will be made a hub for tourism, culture and education."
Mohd Asri also said it would be a strategic location for businesses and education centres as Kubang Kerian, located within Demit, was the location of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM).
Mohd Asri added that the plan is in its initial stages and would take a number of years to complete.
Kelantan's state election will be held on Aug 12, while early voting will be on Aug 8.
