Malaysia, Thailand to build border fence
Malaysia and Thailand agreed on building a fence to shut their porous borders in a bid to stop smuggling, trafficking and trespassing activities that have continued unabated for decades, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said after a meeting in Putrajaya.
The fence would be along the 121 kilometer of river boundary and 20 kilometer of land boundary from Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat to Jeli, but details of the “high cost” project was yet to be finalised. The project is estimated to take three years to complete.
The agreement will also include a commitment by both nations to work closely on solving transnational crime and problems concerning dual citizenship.
Malaysian media reported that during the bilateral meeting, Thailand also approved Malaysia’s application to extradite ten Thais believed to be responsible over 100 graves of human trafficking victims that were discovered in the border village of Wang Kelian, Perlis, last year.
However, some observers doubt that the fence will actually materialise. In 2013, Zahid said the Malaysian government intends to build a 141-kilometer-long electric fence along the border in Kelantan.
Both countries tried to curb smuggling and trafficking in the past by constructing walls at several border stretches. As early as in the 1970s, Malaysia and Thailand constructed walls along the Perlis/Satun and Perlis/Songkhla as well as Kedah/Songkhla portions of the border. The walls were of concrete, steel, and topped barbed wire as well as iron fencing at other stretches.
In 2015, the two countries agreed to construct one wall along the whole border which now happens to become a shorter fence.
Malaysia and Thailand agreed on building a fence to shut their porous borders in a bid to stop smuggling, trafficking and trespassing activities that have continued unabated for decades, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Malaysia's Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said after a meeting in Putrajaya. The fence would be along the 121 kilometer of river boundary and 20 kilometer of land boundary from Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat to Jeli, but details of the "high cost" project was yet to be finalised. The project is estimated to take three years to complete. The agreement will also...
Malaysia and Thailand agreed on building a fence to shut their porous borders in a bid to stop smuggling, trafficking and trespassing activities that have continued unabated for decades, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said after a meeting in Putrajaya.
The fence would be along the 121 kilometer of river boundary and 20 kilometer of land boundary from Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat to Jeli, but details of the “high cost” project was yet to be finalised. The project is estimated to take three years to complete.
The agreement will also include a commitment by both nations to work closely on solving transnational crime and problems concerning dual citizenship.
Malaysian media reported that during the bilateral meeting, Thailand also approved Malaysia’s application to extradite ten Thais believed to be responsible over 100 graves of human trafficking victims that were discovered in the border village of Wang Kelian, Perlis, last year.
However, some observers doubt that the fence will actually materialise. In 2013, Zahid said the Malaysian government intends to build a 141-kilometer-long electric fence along the border in Kelantan.
Both countries tried to curb smuggling and trafficking in the past by constructing walls at several border stretches. As early as in the 1970s, Malaysia and Thailand constructed walls along the Perlis/Satun and Perlis/Songkhla as well as Kedah/Songkhla portions of the border. The walls were of concrete, steel, and topped barbed wire as well as iron fencing at other stretches.
In 2015, the two countries agreed to construct one wall along the whole border which now happens to become a shorter fence.
