40 teams take part in Golok river boat contest
The event, held at the Pohon Jambu jetty on the Thai side of Sungai Golok town, attracted over 1,000 villagers from Malaysia and Thailand.
They were seen sitting along the riverbank at Kampung Pohon Jambu here, accompanied by their family members, including children.
The five teams from Malaysia include those from Pasir Mas and Machang district councils.
The Thai teams comprised various agencies, including those from the Sungai Golok district office.
The "Yor Kong" boat contest is an annual event and will be officiated by Narathiwat governor Acting Sub-Lieutenant Trakul Thotham.
Meanwhile, Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said he had directed the General Operations Force (GOF) to increase their checks in the area to prevent any illegal border crossing.
"I have ordered the GOF personnel to conduct more surveillance against those who tried to cross to Thailand," he said, adding that this would ensure people don't exploit the competition to cross the river unlawfully.
It is learnt that more than 10 GOF personnel were deployed to the scene since 8am this morning to monitor the situation until the competition ended at 6.30pm.
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