Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam has asked PAS leader Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abd Aziz to "educate" the Kelantanese not to cross over into Thailand and become infected with HIV.

He was responding to Nik Abduh, who told a forum on Tuesday night, that the high rate of HIV and Aids in Kelantan was due to the state being close to the Thai town of Golok, where drugs and prostitutes were easily found.

To this, Subramaniam said it was a personal decision to cross the border and suggested that Nik Abduh educate the people not to indulge in activities that can be detrimental to their health.

"It's the individual who makes the choice. So I think Pasir Mas MP must go back to the people in Kelantan, educate them, strengthen them mentally and (in) other ways.

"So, despite the choice, they will not cross the border and do naughty things," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also attended the event, shared a similar view.

Subramaniam said that temptation was everywhere and Nik Abduh should not blame the issue on Golok being close to Kelantan.

 

“You cannot blame where you are. We can't shift Kelantan to Johor Bharu; that's not possible.

 

“So Kelantan will be Kelantan, and the border will always be there. It's up to the people to decide what they choose and what they don't choose,” he said.

 

The Malaysian AIDS Foundation in September this year said Kelantan has the second highest HIV cases in the country.