Kelantan‘s old towns get strategic revival plan with Pasir Mas as the main focus, leveraging ECRL development for economic and tourism growth.
KOTA BHARU: The Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) and the Kelantan state government have launched a strategic initiative to rejuvenate rundown old towns, with Pasir Mas as the primary focus.
PLANMalaysia director-general Datuk Dr Alias Rameli said rapid new developments have not eliminated the need for special attention in older urban areas.
He noted that Pasir Mas was once a vibrant focal point and family destination for visitors from neighbouring states due to its location near the Malaysia-Thailand border.
“But now the town is rather sluggish and requires comprehensive revitalisation, and several areas of the town need to be restored,” he told reporters after the state-level World Town Planning Day celebration.
Alias said the revitalisation aspects required include landscaping, pedestrian walkways, roads, traffic flow restructuring and public park development.
He expressed hope that the effort would enable the old town to function fully as an economic, social and tourism zone.
He explained that the construction of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) would be a critical factor in revitalising Pasir Mas.
With the main station in Tunjong and an additional proposed line to Rantau Panjang, he believed the economic spillover would directly benefit Pasir Mas.
To ensure more organised development, he said all 12 local authorities in Kelantan were given a special action plan to facilitate funding applications from the state or Federal Government.
“We have provided plans, documents and various financing schemes through the Housing and Local Government Ministry, including safe city projects, smart city initiatives and the construction of a Madani Recreational Park estimated at RM500,000,” he said.
Alias said, however, that local authorities must submit funding applications for these initiatives. – Bernama
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