KOTA BARU: The rising number of homosexuals in Kelantan reflects PAS’ failure in promoting the true Islamic way of life, says Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.

PAS leaders claim to champion Islam but cannot even tackle the rise in such an un-Islamic way of life, he said.

“I was shocked when a Deputy Home Minister announced that the rising number of HIV cases in Kelantan was also attributed to homosexual activities.

“This is serious. All this while, we thought the number of HIV cases here was going up mainly because of the sharing of needles among drug addicts,” Ahmad Jazlan, who is also Kelantan Umno deputy chairman, said after opening the Poly-Tech Mara college open day here yesterday.

On Tuesday, Deputy Home Minister II Masir Kujat revealed the state Health Department’s report attributing the rising number of HIV cases in Kelantan to promiscuity and an unhealthy lifestyle, including switching sex partners.

Masir noted that HIV infections caused by homosexual activities doubled from 10 in 2015 to 20 last year.

HIV infection through heterosexual relationship is also on the rise, increasing from 40 to 50 during the corresponding period.

From 2001 to 2016, Kelantan recorded 11,000 HIV-positive cases. A total of 2,255 people contracted HIV/AIDS during the same period.

Ahmad Jazlan also took a swipe at Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah for blaming Thailand for corrupting the people of Kelantan.

“How can he say homosexual and heterosexual activities occur because of Kelantan’s close proximity to Thailand?

“If our next door neighbour is a robber, are we going to blame him if our children follow in his footsteps? What is the role of the head of family then?” he asked.

Ahmad Jazlan challenged the state health committee chairman to answer at the next assembly session on the actions taken to address the growing number of homosexuals in Kelantan.