PASIR MAS, April 17 — The Home Ministry (KDN) will set up a task force involving several relevant ministries to discuss on the control of the country’s borders for the post-Movement Control Order (MCO), said Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
He said it was important to monitor the movement of individuals who might try to exit and enter Malaysia without following the proper routes, and risking the people health even after the MCO had been lifted.
“We will set up a task force to study the matter and it will involve several ministries, including the Ministry of Environment and Water.
“No restrictions on movement at the borders could cause the outbreak to spread again,” he told reporters after observing the Malaysian-Thailand border in Tumpat and Pasir Mas today.
Asked whether the government would expedite the construction of the Malaysia-Thailand border wall to curb smuggling activities as proposed several years ago, he said the matter would be brought to the Cabinet meeting soon.
This is because he found that there were currently 88 rat trails used by smugglers to smuggle various goods along the Sungai Golok in Tumpat and Pasir Mas.
“The rat trails and jetties are constantly changing and it requires an effective strategy in dealing with smuggling problems that have been happening at the border for a long time,” he said.
Commenting on the increasing number of people who opted to use domestic air services during the MCO, he said the government would improve the standard operating procedure (SOP) at the airports.
