PASIR MAS: Malaysia does not recognise dual citizenships, following Thai police reports that many cross-border criminals active along the Malaysian-Thai border possess two identity cards.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said an identity card is a symbol of citizenship, and any suspected cases of dual citizenship must be verified through the National Registration Department (NRD) database.
He said besides the police, NRD has the authority to confirm the status of individuals involved in crimes within Malaysia.
For cases in Thailand, the ministry formally requests a list of names from Thai authorities.
“Malaysia and Thailand have a joint border committee in place to share information about individuals linked to criminal activities. This committee facilitates the exchange of wanted individuals’ names if they are implicated in crimes in both countries,” he told a press conference after officiating the ‘Santuni Madani’ programme at SMK Tanjong Bunga here yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution also said any list provided by Thailand would be cross-checked against the NRD database to confirm the individuals’ status.
Malaysia, he said, remains open to receiving information from Thailand on individuals linked to cross-border crimes.
“In Thailand, the authorities publicly display the faces of wanted individuals in public areas, allowing citizens to identify and report them to the authorities.
“As such, Malaysian and Thai police maintain close cooperation, particularly when dealing with suspects wanted in both countries,” he said to Bernama.
On Thursday, Thai police did not rule out that some individuals involved in Malaysia-Thailand cross-border crimes might possess dual identity cards or even dual citizenship.
Narathiwat police chief Col Pratya Baitee said that this tactic is often used as a modus operandi, enabling suspects to escape to either Malaysia or Thailand when pursued by local authorities.
Investigations have further uncovered that many of these criminals have different information on their various identity cards.
Meanwhile, the public has been urged to respect Thailand’s laws and allow authorities to proceed with their investigation into the detention of six Malaysians in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat, on Nov 1.
Saifuddin Nasution said the six individuals were allegedly involved in drug-related offences, and are subject to Thailand’s legal system.
“Based on updates from Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat, the suspects have been charged in court and are currently under remand for three months,” he said.
Commenting on the possibility of the suspects being allowed to return home after Thai authorities complete their investigations, he said further checks will be conducted to determine if they committed other offences.
“We will investigate whether they entered Thailand through official checkpoints or illegal routes, as well as look into any other crimes,” he said.
On Nov 1, six Malaysians, including a local artiste from Kelantan, were detained during a raid by Thai police at a hotel in Sungai Golok. The 6am raid led to the discovery of about 6,000 yaba pills in their hotel room.
Two of the suspects reportedly entered Thailand using the Gergaji illegal jetty near Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, while the remaining four used the Rantau Panjang Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security checkpoint.
Meanwhile, on the proposal for a flood mitigation and security barrier along Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok area, the minister said the National Security Council (NSC) will review the proposal.
“The construction of a border barrier is being discussed and will be finalised by NSC. There have been suggestions from the state police and the state government, and I believe the NSC will give due consideration to this,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution added that the ministry will be consulted by NSC for input and further discussions when the time comes.
The Thai government recently welcomed Kelantan’s proposal to the federal government for the construction of a security and flood control barrier along the Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang border area, with Narathiwat governor Trakul Thotham describing the barrier as an essential measure to tackle cross-border crime.
On Nov 5, Kelantan proposed the construction of a 100km-long barrier along the state’s border with Thailand to curb smuggling and mitigate floods from Sungai Golok, which forms part of the Kelantan-Thai border.
