KOTA BARU, Nov 15 — The construction of a security and flood wall along Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang will assist the General Operations Force (GOF) in curbing cross-border criminal activities, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

He said that the proposed construction of a security wall in the border area would also facilitate the deployment of GOF personnel for border surveillance.

"I do not deny that issues such as the smuggling of drugs, firearms, (cooking) oil and raw materials can be reduced if the security wall is built, which also facilitates the GOF’s assignments,” he said.

"The GOF operates many posts along the Malaysia-Thailand border to combat cross-border crime,” he told Bernama recently.

According to Razarudin, a large allocation was required for the construction of the security wall, along with resolving issues related to private land ownership, before the project could proceed.

"We also need to think about the allocation, as it involves a large cost. Additionally, most of the land there (in Rantau Panjang) near Sungai Golok does not have a buffer zone, making it difficult to implement the project,” he said.

It was reported yesterday that the Thai government had agreed to Malaysia’s plan to construct a security and flood wall along Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang.

Narathiwat Governor Trakul Thotham said the wall would help address various cross-border crimes.

On November 5, the Kelantan government announced that it would propose to the federal government the construction of a wall along the Malaysia-Thailand border in the state.

Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the construction of the nearly 100-kilometre wall along the border was crucial to combat smuggling activities as well as to control floods.

On November 11, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was reported as saying that the construction of the wall remained at the proposal stage.

As the Border Security Committee chairman, he noted that the matter was frequently discussed, but the ultimate authority lies with the National Security Council (MKN), chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. — Bernama