The police chief of a Malaysian border state has renewed his call for the construction of a wall along the frontier with Thailand, arguing that it would serve twin goals.
Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat has again urged the Malaysian government to greenlight a wall along the border with Thailand’s Narathiwat province.
As a security barrier it would assist in the battle against smugglers. and at the same time help prevent flooding caused by overflow from the Golok River into border areas of Kelantan, he said.
The narrow nature of the river along that section made it easier for quick illegal crossings, despite the use of security cameras, drones and other tech.
“Sungai Golok is very narrow. Even with advanced technology, maintaining control remains difficult as it takes only a few minutes for someone to cross over to Thailand,” he said in a story published by Bernama news agency on Monday.
The state police chief believed it would be the most effective step against border crime.
Sungai Kolok district and Kelantan’s Rantau Panjang township are both prone to flooding by the river, which demarcates the border in that area.
The border wall project is still awaiting approval from Kuala Lumpur, despite a strong push by Kelantan officials.
Kelantan is aware of illicit activities, including human trafficking, along the border with Narathiwat. Some Malaysians illegally enter Thailand to obtain illicit drugs. The criminals are undeterred by warnings from Malaysian authorities of serious legal action against Malaysians crossing the border through unofficial crossings.
Kelantan and Narathiwat share a 163-kilometre border, about 90km of which is along the river.