KOTA BHARU, June 7 — The Thai Cabinet's approval of the Sungai Golok Basin development project opens avenues for closer cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand to address flood risks, water security, and ecosystem restoration in the border areas of both countries.
National Security Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said that Malaysia also intends to implement related developments in the area, though the matter is still in the planning stages.
The government will continue to communicate with Bangkok to ensure that any development planning for the Sungai Golok Basin is coordinated, given that it concerns the interests of both nations.
"For that purpose, we will constantly remain in contact with the Thai government because it involves the interests of both countries," he told the media after the NSC meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex today.
Previously, the Thai Cabinet approved a joint environmental project with Malaysia to reduce flood risks, enhance water security, and restore the ecosystem in the Sungai Golok Basin.
The initiative has received US$4 million (RM15.9 million) in funding from the Global Environment Facility and will be implemented over a 48-month period with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
The project was jointly developed by Thailand’s National Water Resources Office and Malaysia’s Irrigation and Drainage Department to strengthen transboundary water resource management.
Nushirwan added that the development of the Sungai Golok Basin is not only crucial for flood and environmental management but also carries implications for the well-being of residents and the development of the border areas of both countries.
The project also encompasses the development of a shared database, flood and drought risk assessments, and the preparation of a joint strategic action plan for the river basin.
Meanwhile, the government is also ironing out the details of economic initiatives to assist communities affected by the demolition of 91 illegal jetties along Sungai Golok, including those in Rantau Panjang and Tumpat.
He said the initiative is still in the detailing phase and will be implemented once coordination between the Federal and state governments is finalised.
