Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (left) looking at the short term fenced walkway from KTM station to ICQS and new pedestrian bridge project at the KTM Padang Besar railway station during his working visit in Perlis. With him Immigration Director-General Datuk Seri Dzaimee Daud (second right) and State secretary Datuk Seri Hasnol Zam Zam Ahmad (right). ( February 25,2022 ). — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
ARAU: The Federal Government has agreed to reopen the access from Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway station to the Padang Besar Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex after it was closed on Sept 1, 2020.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the reopening will bring relief to the public and help spruce up the economy in Padang Besar.
"This will help the movement of the public and visitors who come from the Padang Besar railway station to the ICQS Complex here," he said during a press conference at Padang Besar ICQS Complex here on Saturday (Feb 25).
He said the owner of the area, Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), is in the final phase of recruiting contractors to build a fenced walkway the Padang Besar ICQS Complex.
Saifuddin said the fenced walkway, estimated to cost about RM300,000, will be a short-term solution before the Federal Government builds a new pedestrian bridge costing about RM3mil to replace the existing bridge to the ICQS Complex.
He, however, said the new pedestrian bridge construction will be decided later.
"Let us solve the current problem first with the short-term solution which is the fenced walkway," he said.
He said the fenced walkway will be ready in four months once RAC has chosen the contractors.
Saifuddin also said the decision to build the fenced walkway is to ensure the safety of pedestrians and at the same time to divert the movement of the public from the prohibited area along the Malaysia-Thailand border in Padang Besar.
The authority had initially closed the pedestrian bridge from the railway station to the ICQS Complex on Sept 1, 2020, to avoid untoward incidents that could threaten national security.
The closure, however, had caused difficulties to travellers who arrived by train where they had to take another transport to go to Padang Besar ICQS Complex before proceeding to Thailand.
Earlier, Saifuddin toured the Padang Besar ICQS Complex for a work visit.
He was accompanied by Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, Perlis state secretary Datuk Seri Hasnol Zam Zam Ahmad and state Immigration director Khairul Amin Talib.
During the visit, he chatted with commuters at the Padang Besar KTM station.
This is his first visit to the complex since his appointment as Home Minister last year.
