PUTRAJAYA: Outstanding fisheries issues faced by Malaysia and Thailand have been resolved, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the agriculture ministers of both countries expressed commitment towards this.
“They wanted the memorandum of understanding to be effective in a month but we have agreed for it to be effective in a week,” said Anwar at a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul here yesterday. The joint press conference followed a four-eyed and bilateral meeting.
Anutin is on a two-day working visit to Malaysia, his first official visit since his reappointment as Prime Minister.
Anutin said they welcomed the earlier concluded meeting between both agriculture ministers to find amicable solutions.
Malaysia previously announced strict new measures from June 1, 2026 affecting Thai sea bass and five shrimp species, and raising the risk of domestic oversupply.
Both Anwar and Anutin also witnessed the exchange of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between both countries’ agriculture ministers on agricultural cooperation.
Malaysia was represented by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Sabu while Thailand was represented by its Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
In a statement, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said the MOU provides a comprehensive framework covering various aspects.
This includes crop, livestock, fisheries, trade facilitation and agricultural product marketing, research and development, capacity development, phytosanitary and sanitary measures, among others.
At the press conference, both prime ministers said the countries also agreed on enhancing cross-border connectivity, developing a special economic zone and improving flood mitigation measures.
Both are also scheduled to jointly officiate the opening of a road linking the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Malaysia, and the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Sadao, Thailand, today.
“Not many of such visits head to remote areas of the border. This reflects his (Anutin’s) personal commitment to enhance these relations.
“We also agreed to proceed with the special border economic zone to facilitate exchanges in immigration and customs between the two countries,” Anwar said.
On this, Anutin said both checkpoints make up the largest and most strategic land border crossing between both countries.
He said both countries agreed to enhance collaboration between the relevant water authorities across both countries to improve water level monitoring and strengthen flood prevention in the Golok basin.
Both countries also agreed to increase cooperation to combat transnational crimes along shared borders, according to Anutin, with a joint working group established to coordinate security barriers along the Golok river.
On trade, Anwar said both Malaysia and Thailand must work hard to achieve the set US$30bil bilateral trade target by 2027.
“Strong friendship and collaboration in all fields, including tourism, must start with the fundamental issue of economy and trade,” he said, with Anutin expressing confidence that the trade target will be achieved very soon.
In a Facebook post later, Anwar said the four-eyed meeting prior to their bilateral meeting saw both expressing the friendship between both countries and their commitment to continue strategic cooperation in the interest of peace, prosperity and wellbeing.
“We also emphasised speeding up the implementation of various interconnectivity projects such as the Asean Power Grid alongside strengthening the connectivity along the Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok border,” he said.
Anutin, he said, also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s active role in facilitating dialogues and peace efforts in the region, including during the peace process between Thailand and Cambodia.
