The Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, today opened the fourth session of the 12th Kelantan legislative assembly, and

called on the state government to give greater attention to helping low-income earners and the needy to own homes.

He said the state government's efforts to help these people were most welcomed, particularly in the implementation of affordable housing programmes.

The sultan asked the federal government to construct an efficient highway network linking Kelantan to the other states, saying that the lack of accessibility and logistics was standing in the way of more foreign investment in the state.

"Kelantan does not yet have efficient highways compared to the other states," he said when opening the assembly session at Kota Darul Naim in Kota Bharu.

The sultan also said that during the 9th Malaysia Plan period, the federal government completed 885 of its planned 1,427 projects in the state.

"The rest of the projects are to be continued under the 10th Malaysia Plan, among them the national food terminal (Teman), the state fire & rescue services headquarters, the office of the director-general of lands and mines, the office

of the national audit department and the Pasir Mas court," he said.

The sultan said he hoped that a new road linking Kota Bharu and Kuala Krai and a coastal road would be included in the 10th plan.

On the tourism industry, he wanted the state government to make the "pondok" education system an Islamic tourism product.

The assembly will sit for two days from tomorrow.

- Bernama