KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan government has been urged to take responsibility over the rising number of HIV cases in the state, triggered as a result of increased heterosexual and homosexual activities.
Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaacob said the Kelantan government must be responsible for the development and not leave it in the hands of the Federal government.
“The rise in these cases is a very serious development. All this while, we thought sharing syringes between drug addicts were the main causes of HIV but suddenly, this came up.
“Kelantan is supposed to be the ‘Corridor of Makkah’ and the state leaders are all ulama, so these incidents should not be happening," he told reporters after launching the Kolej-Polytech Mara (KPTM) Open Day, here today.
Nur Jazlan, who is also state Umno deputy liaison committee chief, was commenting on a statement by Deputy Home Minister Masir Kujat, who on Tuesday said HIV cases through heterosexual activities rose from 40 in 2015 to 50 cases last year while homosexual cases increased from 10 cases to 20 cases in the state in the same period.
Nur Jazlan said the state government should not only talk but put up action plans to tackle the problem.