KUANTAN, July 10- Pahang Menteri Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob yesterday urged the opposition to cease street demonstrations to protest the results of the 13th General Election.
He said the opposition was also responsible to preserve peace and harmony in the country failing which there could be anarchy like what happened in certain countries in the Middle East.
“We must not follow the Arab Spring as this might lead to bloodshed because of partisanship,” he said when winding up debate on the Royal address in the state assembly here today.
He said the opposition should accept the GE13 results and not resort to street demonstrations on the grounds that they won the popular vote as Malaysia practised the “first past the post” system.
He also reminded the opposition not to play up sensitive issues like Malay rights, Islam and the institution of the Malay rulers. Meanwhile, to a question from Datuk Md Sohaimi Mohamed Shah (BN-Sungai Lembing) on the issue of deforestation in the state, Adnan said the state government viewed this seriously, particularly in sensitive areas like the Cameron Highlands.
He said action was taken from time to time against those found to be clearing forests illegally under the National Forestry Act 1984 and Land Rehabilitation Act 1960 but a lack of manpower and hostile terrian hampered effective enforcement.
To another question from Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (DAP-Mentakab), Adnan said currently there were more than 130,000 registered foreign workers in the state mainly in the plantation, construction and domestic help sectors.
Meanwhile, state Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin in his winding up speech said the state government planned to come up with more tourism products to attract visitors to Pahang.
He said among them were harnessing the tourism potential of Merapoh which had more than 500 caves besides being an entry point to Taman Negara.
Another was Gunong Benom, which he said could be developed into another Cameron Highlands, the highly popular mountain resort in the state bordering Perak and Kelantan.
– BERNAMA
