KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will not allow any part of its territory to be used as a hiding place or safe haven by groups resorting to violence and rejecting the peace process in southern Thailand, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said Malaysia viewed developments and recent incidents in the region seriously and remained committed to supporting efforts to bring peace to southern Thailand.
“I want to stress that we will not allow our territory to become a place of refuge or hiding for any party that uses violence and rejects the peace process in southern Thailand.
“We will give our full cooperation to the Thai authorities to ensure this does not happen,” he told a press conference after the Defence Ministry-level launch of the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign here on Wednesday (Aug 27).
Mohamed Khaled said the Armed Forces would continue tightening controls and surveillance along the Malaysia-Thailand border to prevent violence in southern Thailand from spilling over into the country.
“We will ensure that no elements infiltrate. The only way to enter Malaysia is through official entry points,” he said.
He also confirmed that the Armed Forces had submitted several names to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for consideration as Malaysia’s next facilitator for the southern Thailand peace process.
The move comes after the service of Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir as the Malaysian government’s facilitator ended recently.
“The Armed Forces has proposed several names for consideration, and we hope a facilitator can be appointed so that we can help all parties in bringing peace to southern Thailand.
“We know this is not an easy task. We have been involved in this issue for a long time and are aware that there are various groups and parties that need to be brought together if we are to ensure peace can be achieved,” he said.
Last Saturday, Narathiwat was placed under a curfew from 10.15pm to 5am following more than 50 incidents, including bombings, the burning of local government offices and tyre fires.
A powerful explosion in Narathiwat also shook homes and caused concern among residents along the Malaysia-Thailand border, including those in Kampung Lubok Gong and Kampung Tersang in Rantau Panjang.
