A Kelantan PAS assemblyperson has told the state legislative assembly that the current dengue fever outbreak in the state is due to the government not following Islamic principles.

However, Tawang representative Hasan Mahmood did not specify whether he was referring to the state or the federal government, but he was quoted by The Star as saying the outbreak occurred not because of the lack of cleanliness.

“It’s a calamity from God. Through the ages, God has brought disasters to those who transgressed His laws and it is the same in these present times, where any spread of a disease stems from non-compliance with God’s laws,” Hasan told the Kelantan legislature yesterday.

Hasan ( left ) was reacting to a question from Dr Md Yusnan Yusof (PAS-Melor), who asked the state about the steps taken to curb dengue in Kelantan.

Kelantan Local Government, Health, Housing and Environment Committee chairperson Abdul Fattah Mahmood said in reply to Md Yusnan that 17 people died of dengue in the state this year, while 12 others were warded at intensive care units of hospitals.

“Some 13,200 people in the state contracted dengue since January. The dirty environment and apathy towards cleanliness in the home are among the reasons. So are clogged drains,” Fattah was quoted as saying.

The BN assemblyperson for Bukit Bunga, Mohd Adhan Kechik, said despite the state government using Islam as its platform to manage the state, the surroundings remained dirty and shameful.

Fattah said efforts were being made to curb the dengue menace but they were of no effect because of public apathy.

Reminders, he added, are made during Friday sermons in mosques and major gotong-royong activities are also held. But the problem still persisted.