Malaysia and Thailand to Tighten Coordination Among Border Agencies

Malaysia and Thailand will tighten coordination among their border agencies, particularly on security and development, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said after meeting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

Mohamad said the countries wanted to align existing cooperation more effectively and prevent agencies from duplicating one another’s work. Better coordination, he said, would help combat smuggling, which causes losses on both sides as goods move illegally in both directions across the border.

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We want to coordinate so that we can ensure, especially in terms of border security, that there are no more smuggling issues that harm both sides.

The two sides also discussed coordinating border-fence construction. Thailand plans to build fences only in areas where Malaysia has not already done so, avoiding overlapping projects and supporting joint border management.

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Malaysia loses, Thailand loses, because some types of goods are smuggled into Thailand, while other goods from Thailand are smuggled into Malaysia.

Malaysia will continue serving as facilitator for peace talks concerning southern Thailand, Mohamad said. He described the role as important because the negotiations have continued for a long time without the progress that had been hoped for. Malaysia wants to help make the area peaceful and support joint development along the border.

The countries are also working together on flooding along the Golok River and in Rantau Panjang. Their efforts include dredging the river and building flood barriers. Malaysia’s Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, PETRA, received Thailand’s agreement to dredge the Golok River as far as its estuary to keep water flowing during heavy rain.

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In the areas where we have built fences, Thailand will not build them, and it will do so in areas where there are no fences.