PAS should admit that it is incapable of setting up a university in Kelantan and that all of its pledges made to the people are false, state Umno.liaison committee chairperson Mustapa Mohamed said.

Bernama quoted him in urging the Kelantan electorate to ensure that the Barisan Nasional (BN) regains control of the state in the upcoming general election because only the coalition "has the capability of setting up a university in the state".

"The (desperate) act of throwing around a few names at a seminar to discuss the setting up of a university in Kelantan was purely a gimmick," he told reporters after closing a dialogue for Kelantan youths at the Universiti Sains Malaysia medical campus in Kota Baru yesterday.

Some 2,000 youths attended the function.

Among those present were Kelantan Umno treasurer Dr Awang Adek Hussin and Kelantan Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Zaid Ibrahim.

Mustapa was commenting on the move by certain parties to display banners claiming that Tenaga Nasional Berhad chairperson Awang Adek is one of the three panelists in the forum to discuss the setting up of a university in Kelantan.

The forum, jointly organised by the state government and the Strategic Studies Centre, has two other speakers - Pengkalan Chepa MP Nik Amar Nik Abdullah and Lunas state assemblyperson Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Cheating Kelantanese

Mustapa said PAS was so desperate that the party was willing to use other people's names for their political interests.

"I regret PAS' move in trying to get others involved without their knowledge and its willingness to cheat the Kelantan people," Mustapa said.

He explained that Awang Adek had rejected the invitation to attend the forum as he felt there was nothing positive to discuss as long as the state was administered by PAS.

In another development, Mustapa said youths in the state wanted a change of government claiming that their welfare had been neglected.

"Many crucial issues were left unresolved by the PAS-led state administration like drug addiction and high unemployment rate among the youths," he said.

He gave an assurance that the some 600,000 Kelantan youths would have a better future in terms of education and employment if the BN was returned to power in the next general election.