Sunday a holiday in Kelantan

2009/11/05

KELANTAN has declared Sunday a state holiday to mark the team's historic Malaysia Cup appearance in the final on Saturday at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said Sunday has been declared a state holiday to mark Kelantan's first appearance in a Malaysia Cup final for 39 years.

"It is an incentive for the people of Kelantan to go and support the team in Bukit Jalil. As for the players and officials, the state government will bear the cost of their Umrah package and also provide cash incentives for making it to the final," Ahmad told reporters in Kota Baru yesterday. Kelantan reached the final after beating Perlis 5-1 on aggregate. The last time Kelantan qualified for the Malaysia Cup final was in 1970 but lost 2-0 to Perak.

This time around, Kelantan will meet a resurgent Negri Sembilan, who demolished Terengganu on a 4-1 aggregate, to make the final.

"We hope that with the next day being declared a holiday, fans will not rush back home but take their time and drive slowly and carefully on their way home," he said. -- Bernama