JOHOR BAHRU, July 6 — The Malaysia-Thailand Annual Dialogue, scheduled to take place in the country in September, will focus on the agenda of trade relations, logistics coordination, and finalising land border issues.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the annual platform will be fully utilised to resolve several outstanding issues that require coordination at the level of both countries.
“This trade is fundamentally based on logistics, and if the logistics foundation cannot be aligned, it will hinder our trade relations. There is also the border issue that we need to resolve, with only a little left regarding the land border issue.
“But we do not have any problems with Thailand. There is no infringements from either party. We have measured the border, but there is still a little bit left (requiring further study) for us to mark the border,” he also said.
Mohamad, who is also the Umno deputy president, said this when met during a lunch programme with voters of the Tiram state seat in conjunction with the Johor state election.
Mohamad said that tightening border control measures is crucial to curb cross-border criminal activities, especially involving the existence of ‘rat lanes’ used as routes by smugglers from both countries.
He said the government is now detailing the coordination mechanism involving the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to address the constraints of jurisdictional differences among enforcement agencies on the ground.
“This is because the military cannot detain people, only the police can detain. So if the military is guarding the border, they cannot detain anyone.
“This is being managed by the National Security Council; the important thing is that our borders are not breached, and our borders do not become corridors for smuggling between the two countries,” he said.
Touching on the peacekeeping mission of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) in Lebanon, Mohamad said the position of the team remains subject to the current mandate, which is scheduled to end in November.
He said that the UN member states basically agreed to maintain the existing mechanism until the end of the mandate period.
“However, it is up to the Ministry of Defence. Then the Foreign Affairs Ministry will take any necessary steps for further action,” he said.
Mohamad said that the current position of Malbatt is safe because it is not stationed at the frontline of the border, and it has been ordered to stop any patrol activities.
He also said that Malbatt members in Lebanon have been reminded to continue prioritising safety until the government makes any decisions or until the UN peacekeeping mission mandate ends at the end of this year.
He added that the withdrawal of the troops could not be carried out independently because it involved high costs; instead, it would be managed under the UN mandate before the personnel involved are brought back to Malaysia. — Bernama