MALAYSIA and Thailand are committed to intensifying infrastructural development at the border, in efforts to boost trade and achieve the bilateral trade target of US$30 billion (RM133.8 billion) by 2025.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia and Thailand also want the construction of a road connecting the Bukit Kayu Hitam and Sadao Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complexes to be expedited.

“Both complexes are very important to improve road and trade links on the Malaysia-Thailand border,” he told Bernama.

In addition, Saifuddin said Malaysia and Thailand also held discussions on the construction of the Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok friendship bridge and the Pengkalan Kubor-Tak Bai bridge.

“This project is still at the stage of area assessment and topographic survey.

“We are grateful to the Thai government for their willingness to bear the cost of conducting land study and topographical survey,” he said.

Saifuddin, who is currently on a two-day working visit to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Bangkok today.

In addition, he also held a meeting with his counterpart Don Pramudwinai, who is also the deputy prime minister.

Saifuddin led the national delegation to the 14th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation and the Fifth Meeting of the Committee on the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas. The last time Malaysia and Thailand held the two meetings were in 2015.

Saifuddin said Malaysia is committed to playing its role to end the conflict in southern Thailand.

Currently, former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor, who is representing the Malaysian government, is facilitating peace talks in southern Thailand. – Bernama, August 9, 2022.