KOTA BARU: Thai authorities have denied releasing water from a dam, causing the Golok river, which separates Malaysia and Thailand in Rantau Panjang, to overflow its riverbank during the annual monsoon season.
Narathiwat Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department operations chief Lieutenant Muhaday Nithatnawaday Chakul said many netizens posted about the matter on social media every time a huge flood occurred.
This, he said, had caused confusion among flood victims in both Thailand and Malaysia.
"As the person who is given the responsibility to handle disasters such as floods, l would like to take this opportunity to explain to the people in Malaysia about the real situation.
"For many years, netizens have claimed that Thai authorities have been releasing water from a dam either in Waeng, Narathiwat and other places. This claim, however, is baseless.
"There is not a single dam built in Narathiwat, which borders with Malaysia.
"The nearest dam is in Yala province, which is far from the Golok river," he told the New Straits Times.
He said the dam in Yala was called "Bang Lang" and if its water was released, it would flow down to Pattani and Saiburi rivers, and not the Golok river.
Muhaday said he had already directed his officers in Narathiwat province to explain this to locals, including those who lived near the Golok river and Takbai sub-provinces.
"With this explanation, l hope Malaysians, particularly the Kelantan folk, will feel relieved and there will be no more misunderstanding over the issue," he added.