KOTA BARU: The Thai Immigration Department has agreed to open its border gates at 6am every day, an hour earlier than usual, beginning Dec 1.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said he was informed of this by his officers who attended yesterday's meeting chaired by the National Security Council in Rantau Panjang.
"I was told that our counterparts in Sungai Golok have no problem in following suit (to open the border gates at 6am).
"The Thai and Malaysian Immigration departments, especially that in Kelantan, have good working ties and there shouldn't be any problem to implement this.
"Before Covid-19 hit both countries, we had already opened the gates at 6am."
Yusoff said he was also informed that the Education Department has offered four choices for the 303 students who cross into Kelantan via Sungai Golok.
"Apart from placing them at the school's hostels, the other three choices are: finding them rented accommodation; placing them in other schools' hostels; and asking them to use the designated entry point, which is the border entry point."
He said the 303 students include 221 enrolled at Education Ministry schools and 82 at religious schools under state administration.
He said he believed the move would help the state police reduce smuggling by about 50 per cent.