Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday (Dec 12) that the proposed wall would be costly to build and maintain, reports the Bangkok Post.
“This fence is expensive and its maintenance is also expensive,” he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.
Thailand and Malaysia have built concrete walls and fences in several locations along their land border to combat human trafficking, illegal goods movement and other crimes.
Last month, Kelantan state proposed building a 100 kilometre long wall on the Malaysian bank of the Golok River, opposite Narathiwat, amid growing frustration about illegal crossings and other criminal activities.
But Mr Saifuddin said on Thursday that “times have changed” and the idea of building walls was becoming outdated.
The proposal by Kelantan needs approval from the top security agency in Kuala Lumpur. It is not known whether the state has forwarded it to the central government.
Kelantan borders Narathiwat, with most areas divided by the Golok River.
‘Rat lanes’ targeted
Kuala Lumpur is considering deploying new technology to assist authorities in curbing illegal crossings at selected locations between Malaysia and neighbouring countries, largely Thailand.
Mr Saifuddin did not go into detail about the technology under consideration but promised it would be effective in attempts to crack down on border crimes, Bernama reported.
A study by Malaysia has identified 281 “rat lanes” in all states bordering other countries, 154 of them on the border with Thailand.
Malaysia has land borders with Brunei and Indonesia, and maritime boundaries with Singapore and the Philippines.