Govt working with Thai counterparts to facilitate goods movement
Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Liew Chin Tong told the Dewan Rakyat that the government was working closely with Thai counterparts to ease goods movement across the northern border and to support export needs for industries such as Kedah Rubber City.
"Miti remains committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the Thai government to facilitate the movement of goods across border checkpoints, including through the Durian Burung entry point.
"This effort requires close collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, such as the Finance Ministry, Home Ministry, the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA)," he said in response to a question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap).
Liew, however, acknowledged that the infrastructure at the ICQS Durian Burung Complex was still inadequate to support large-scale trade operations, especially those involving the use of containers.
He said the government, through NCIA, was implementing several strategic initiatives, including conducting a feasibility study for a Border Economic Zone to identify potential economic opportunities that could be developed in the border area, including the KRC and surrounding regions near Durian Burung.
Other initiatives include regional cooperation under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and the Joint Development Strategy (JDS).
"These collaborations focus on development in industries such as halal, logistics, rubber, and tourism. The JDS specifically aims to enhance connectivity and international trade policies, strengthening synergy between both countries.
"In addition, the Malaysian government remains committed to enhancing strategic cooperation with Thailand through existing platforms such as the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Trade Committee," he said.
He added that both parties had agreed to improve trade facilitation, including upgrading infrastructure, logistics systems, and procedures at border checkpoints.
These steps, he said, were expected to accelerate Customs clearance processes while reducing time and costs for cross-border goods movement.
"Although there have been suggestions to use Songkhla Port in Thailand as an alternative export route, the government is currently focused on maximising the use of domestic ports, especially in Penang and Kuala Perlis.
"This initiative aligns with the government's broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of local ports, while ensuring the economic benefits are fully realised by industry players and local communities," he said.
Liew added that the ministry was also open to studying and proposing recommendations to the Finance Ministry to provide various incentives aimed at increasing the usage of local ports when asked on the ministry's short-term plans to encourage investors to use domestic ports for setting up factories or exporting products abroad.
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