KOTA BARU: The Kelantan government will propose to the federal government the construction of a nearly 100km wall along the Malaysia-Thailand border near the state to combat smuggling and control flooding.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said that the vastness of the border would make it challenging for security forces to monitor, adding that the proposal aims to enhance border security.
"We will bring this proposal to build the wall to the federal government.
"The authorities always maintain strict control at the border near this state, but there are many illegal bases that make it difficult to monitor unlawful activities," he told reporters after the Kelantan International Congress on Rafflesia 2024 here today.
Mohamed Fadzli said that most of the land at the border belonged to individuals, making it difficult for the authorities to combat smuggling as smugglers entered and exited the Malaysia-Thailand border through unregulated and hard-to-control routes.
Previously, Kelantan police Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat had proposed to the state government to build a wall along the Malaysia-Thailand border to curb cross-border crime.
Meanwhile, commenting on Rafflesia, Mohamed Fadzli said the state government had gazetted 400 hectares of land in Lojing, Gua Musang to conserve the Rafflesia flower species.
He said the area had been gazetted since 2011 and involved three Rafflesia species namely Kerri, Cantleyi and Sumeiae.
"Rafflesia is a natural treasure which gives many opportunities to the state government to further develop the ecotourism industry while also creating more job opportunities for the local residents."
"In 2022, the state government officially announced and launched that area as the Rafflesia Conservation Park in Kelantan," he said.
He said the state government was committed to supporting research studies on the conservation and preservation of Rafflesia and its surrounding ecosystem.
"As a state that has many natural treasures such as forests and rivers there is much work needed to be done regarding research on how to protect that parasitic flower," he added.