Malaysia's borders vulnerable to breach
A significant factor was the geographical layout of the Malaysia-Thailand border, which was only separated by Sungai Golok, which was approximately 20 metres wide.
RANTAU PANJANG - The Malaysia-Thailand border is perceived as easily breached with undocumented foreign immigrants requiring less than five minutes to sneak into the country via boats through Sungai Golok, here.
Sinar's observation at several illegal bases around Sungai Golok found that undocumented migrants could effortlessly enter due to various factors.
A significant factor was the geographical layout of the Malaysia-Thailand border, which was only separated by Sungai Golok, which was approximately 20 metres wide.
It is understood that the existence of about 140 illegal bases along Sungai Golok from Rantau Panjang to Pengkalan Kubor were believed to have been built by local residents, which further facilitated the smuggling activities of migrants and contraband.
Assisted by land skippers, the migrants will then use the numerous illegal routes at the national border to reach the arranged shelter houses.
This situation has led Sungai Golok to potentially become the gateway for undocumented immigrants, which was exploited by various syndicates seeking to profit easily.
More surprisingly, the proprietors of these illegal bases charge a mere RM3 per person for locals or Thais to be transported in or out of the country.
A guard in his 40s, working at one of the bases and wished to remain anonymous, disclosed that the operation was particularly bustling on Sundays and during holiday seasons.
"It gets really crowded, even on weekdays. Around 50 people go there (to Thailand), generating an income of about RM150.
"If someone only wants to send goods, we will charge based on the goods," he said.
The man, who is also a local resident, added that the base was built about a year ago.
"If they are from Thailand, they can only turn around here. They cannot go far," he added.
Observations by Sinar also found that these illegal bases were situated approximately 10 metres apart from each other and were about 20 metres away from the neighbouring country.
Throughout an hour of observation, many boat movements were detected entering and exiting easily without any supervision and strict action by the authorities.
Certainly, the authorities, especially the Malaysian Immigration Department faced tough challenges in curbing undocumented immigrant syndicates that were always one step ahead.
