Saifuddin: Malaysian-Thai border congestion needs immediate solutions
BANGKOK: The long queues reported on the first day of the Malaysia-Thailand 24-hour border operations in Bukit Kayu Hitam and Sadao have to be resolved swiftly.
Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said there should be no delays in ensuring smooth traffic flow at the border as a huge volume of vehicles transporting goods from Thailand would ply the route to enter Malaysia to get to Penang Port.
“We have only recently started operating around the clock (June 18) and the response from motorists has been positive.
“However, we need to solve a few issues (on vehicle clearance), which I expect will be discussed between ranking officers, but it has to be done quickly.
“It is important to find immediate solutions to overcome the problem as some 60 per cent of Thailand’s trade will pass through the border when lorry drivers transport goods to Penang Port,” he said after attending the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the 34th Asean Summit here yesterday.
He was responding to the New
Straits Times’ front-page yesterday, which reported that motorists, especially lorry drivers, were forced to wait for almost six hours due to the long queues.
Sources said the problem was due to a change in procedures undertaken by the Thai Customs Department for vehicles coming into Danok, Thailand, which required lorry drivers to alight their vehicles to meet Thai Immigration officers to get their passport stamped.
Previously, the procedure on the approval for lorry drivers’ travel documents was done at the Customs checkpoint, approximately 2km from the border.
On a separate matter, Saifuddin said the deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar should be conducted comprehensively to ensure their safe return.
He said besides the Rohingya, the views of civil society organisations and those involved in humanitarian missions, especially in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, should be looked into.
Saifuddin said Malaysia, which continues to be firm and vocal on issues involving the oppression of the Rohingya, had raised three matters at the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Dinner on Friday night.
“Firstly, all perpetrators have to be brought to justice through a platform (mechanism) that will be looked into later.
“Secondly, citizenship remains (a core) issue for the Rohingya. Perhaps Malaysia is the only country which continues to use the term ‘Rohingya’, as most of the Asean documents use ‘Rakhine State’ instead.
“Our deportation plans have to be comprehensive, including taking into account the views of the Rohingya, civil society organisations and those involved in humanitarian missions.
“Thirdly, Malaysia remains committed to improving its humanitarian programmes in the country (Malaysia) for those (Rohingya) living there (Malaysia) and also in Cox’s Bazar.”
It was reported that efforts for the Rohingya to return to Myanmar had hit a wall as virtually no Rohingya refugee had chosen to do so due to safety concerns.
On the South China Sea dispute, Saifuddin stressed the need for Asean countries to collectively ensure that the Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations between Asean and China would progress smoothly by year end.
He pointed out Malaysia’s emphasis on the stand following efforts by at least one Asean country to hold separate discussions with China.
“Our stand is that all negotiations with China on the South China Sea, especially the COC, should be done in a group (Asean) with China. The reading of the COC draft will be done at the end of this year.”
It was reported that Asean and China had agreed to set up the COC for the South China Sea at a 2002 summit amid heightened tensions in the disputed waters.
If everything goes smoothly, the COC negotiations are expected to be completed by 2021 promising effective and stronger safeguards for safety and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.