TUMPAT: Nine Buddhist temples in the district today received the state gazette certificates from Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.
Ahmad said the nine Siamese temples or wat will come under the Kelantan Sangha Council’s administration.
The advisor of the council, Eh Chot Chat Chan said applications from another nine temples in Tumpat, one Tanah Merah and one Pasir Puteh were still being processed.
“I, on behalf of the council and the Siamese community thank the state government for their concern on the temples’ land issue and also the community,” he said at the presentation of the certificates at Wat Phikulthong in Kampung Terbak here.
Eh Chot said the process of gazetting the land was lengthy and was given priority during the time of the late Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and was continued by Ahmad.
He said the Siamese community and the Malays in the state have a good and cordial relationship which stretchea back to hundreds of years.
“The gazetting of the land will strengthen the position of the Sangha council and temples according to the law and regulation.
“The land will also be safe and cannot be sold, the ownership cannot be changed or put under an individual,” he said.