PETALING JAYA: Kelantan police have demolished illegal bases and closed unauthorised routes along the border with Thailand as a proactive preventive measure.
The Home Ministry said the main aim of this integrated approach is to block the movement of certain elements and their support networks.
ALSO READ: Kelantan told to postpone travel to southern Thailand following bomb attacks
"Continuous joint patrols with other security agencies have also been carried out and intensified.
"It is aimed at preventing Malaysia from being exploited as a transit route, safe haven, or support base, which could undermine peace negotiations and regional stability," the ministry said in a statement on Friday (Jan 23).
The ministry said the efforts are also supported by enhanced intelligence-gathering and information sharing at the regional level through the Border Control Enhancement Committee, which serves as a platform for coordination among ministries and relevant agencies to strengthen national border security.
The ministry, through the police, stressed its commitment to continue strict monitoring, law enforcement and preventive measures to curb the illegal entry of individuals or groups linked to militant activities in southern Thailand.
"The country’s border security will remain safeguarded and ready to face any external threats that could endanger national safety," it added.
ALSO READ: Clashes erupt in southern Thailand as officers cordon off suspected hideout
On Jan 11, southern Thailand was rocked by bomb explosions at several petrol stations in the district.
Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat subsequently urged Malaysians travelling there to exercise caution.
Violence erupted again in southern Thailand on Tuesday (Jan 20), with residents in part of Tala town and security officials reporting a cordon-and-search operation as well as an exchange of gunfire between officers and a group of suspected armed men in a village in Sateng Nok subdistrict.
