The Kelantan PAS government was today criticised for not emphasising on Islamic development in the planning of new townships in the state.

Hassan Mahmood (PAS-Tawang) said each time the state government opened a new township, no emphasis was given to Islamic development like building of a mosque and this was not in sync with the state government's concept of "progressing with Islam".

"For example, in opening the new township in Tunjong, near Wakaf Che Yeh, I find that there is no emphasis on building Islamic facilities like the mosque.

"What I see is just buildings. My question is, when?" he said in his supplementary oral question to the one from Zulkifli Mamat (PAS-Pulai Chondong) at the state assembly sitting in Kota Bharu today.

Deputy Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakub replied that the state government certainly had Islamic development plans (for the area).

"We have the allocation and have laid the foundation stone. We will implement it," he said but did not state the date and the amount involved for the Islamic development programme in the Tunjong township.

Replying to a supplementary question from Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman (PAS-Chetok), Ahmad said the state government had planned to set up a modern "pondok"  Islamic learning centre in the new district of Lojing.

He said the state government had also allocated RM1 million to build a mosque in Lojing while all the development projects for the area would be under the Lojing District Development Plan 2020.

"The development of an Islamic centre there is important as many of the Orang Asli in the area have converted to Islam," he said.

- Bernama