KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The National Security Council (NSC) will coordinate the technical specifications for the proposed border fence development between Malaysia and Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told Dewan Rakyat today.
She said MKN would look at the country’s strategic needs and the financial implication involved in the development of the fence.
She explained the construction of the border fence over the Malaysia-Thailand international border line was agreed upon by both countries at the 25th Land Boundary Committee meeting chaired by the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia on July 31 to August 2 last year.
“The Malaysian working committee members have been completed while Thailand’s committee will be finalised after the country’s general election is over,” she said.
She was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) who wanted to know whether the government had decided to build a border wall from Perlis to Kelantan.
In the meantime, Dr Wan Azizah admitted that the construction of a border fence involved a high cost.
“We have a jointly agreed fence, we have built, (for) a kilometre, we have spent RM1 million. Hence this borderline, if it is controlled by other mechanisms, we will also improve the system,” he said.
The length of the Malaysia-Thailand border is estimated at 656km but only 111km were fenced. — Bernama
