Written by 
PETALING JAYA: Kelantan menteri besar Nassuruddin Daud said that the proposed plan to build a security and flood wall along the border between Kelantan and Thailand is estimated to cost RM445.748 million, which includes the cost of land acquisition.
Expressing support for the proposal, he said the project would have long-term benefits, including supporting Kelantan’s economic development, Harian Metro reported.
“Kelantan is committed to tackling and combating smuggling and other cross-border crimes, as well as addressing flood issues along the 99km stretch of Sungai Golok.”
“Therefore, the construction of the Kelantan-Thailand wall is crucial, particularly for national security purposes and to prevent widespread cross-border crimes,” he was quoted as saying.
Last Thursday, it was reported that the Thai government were also in favour of the proposed plan to build a security and flood wall along Sungai Golok at Rantau Panjang in Kelantan.
Narathiwat governor Trakul Thotham was reported to have said that the wall would help address cross-border crimes. He also pointed out that the existing wall along Sungai Golok has already helped to curb illegal border crossings and smuggling.
He added that the proposed wall will also help control flooding caused by the overflow of Sungai Golok into Rantau Panjang.
On Nov 5, the Kelantan government said it would submit a formal proposal to Putrajaya on the construction of a 100km border wall with Thailand, aimed at preventing smuggling and floods.
Yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was reported to have said that the proposal is still at discussion stage and will be finalised by the National Security Council.
Separately, Nassuruddin said that the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.6%, amounting to RM27.6 billion in 2023 compared with RM26.9 billion the previous year.
According to Bernama, he attributed the growth primarily to the service sector, which expanded by 3.8% and contributed RM19.8 billion. However, the agriculture sector contracted by 0.5% due to a decline in the forestry and logging subsector.
“The manufacturing sector also shrank by 2.6%, impacted by reduced output in electrical, electronic and optical products as well as wood, furniture, paper and printing products. The construction sector grew by 6.7%, largely driven by special trade construction activities,” he was quoted as saying.
He said Kelantan targets a GDP value of RM50 billion within the next 10 years, focusing on the manufacturing and tourism sectors.