KOTA BARU: Malaysia and Thailand are expected to finalise negotiations on the Sungai Golok river mouth widening project within a month to reduce flood risks in Kelantan and southern Thailand, says the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had held two rounds of talks with the Thai government, including with his counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul, to expedite the implementation of the project.
Anwar said widening and deepening the river mouth is among key measures to mitigate the impact of floods affecting areas in both countries.
“I hope to resume negotiations within this month to finalise the matter. There has already been progress between the Malaysian and Thai governments,” he said when launching the Kelantan entrepreneur revival scheme.
The Prime Minister said close cooperation between the two countries is important to ensure the issue could be resolved effectively, benefiting the people of Kelantan and southern Thailand.
He said good relations with neighbouring countries are important not only in terms of trade, but also in addressing cross-border issues that require joint solutions.
On the flood situation in Kelantan, Anwar gave an assurance that the Federal Government would continue to assist the state in implementing flood mitigation projects, despite the substantial allocations required due to high construction costs.
He said the matter had been discussed with Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nassuruddin Daud to facilitate an integrated approach through close cooperation between the state and Federal governments, thereby reducing the impact of floods on the people and the state’s development.
Anwar said the government plans to develop the area around the Rantau Panjang Bridge to give the locality a new look through development projects planned in collaboration with the state government, Bernama reported.
He said the success of the initiative requires firm commitment from both sides, particularly in expediting land acquisition matters.
“My thanks to the state secretary for expediting land acquisition and other related matters so that we can proceed with the project, with the hope bringing progress to the area,” he added.
