KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The government does not plan to reopen the border free flow zone between Wang Kelian on the Malaysian side and Wang Prachan in Thailand due to security factors.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in this regard, the government had stopped the free flow at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex at Wang Kelian since April 1, 2015.
He said the move was to enforce the law and related regulations on the entry/exit control at the border.
“This means that Malaysians who wish to cross the border should do so through the gazetted entry/exit point and they need to have an international passport or valid travel documents such as the border pass and it is likewise for Thai nationals.
“This measure is necessary to curb security threats and smuggling of prohibited items into the country,” he said in his written reply shown on the Parliament website today.
Muhyiddin was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) on whether the government planned to reopen the free flow zone at Wang Kelian soon and on the conditions needed to reopen the zone.
The free flow zone was to exempt Thai nationals from the need to have a visit pass or to show their passport at the Wang Kelian entry/exit point in Malaysia and exempting Malaysians from having to show their passport at Wang Prachan, Thailand. — Bernama
