BUDGET 2026: KELANTAN BORDER CONTROL NEEDS MARITIME RADAR, SECURITY WALL - POLICE CHIEF

KOTA BHARU, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The vast expanse of the Kelantan waters is a major challenge for enforcement, thus revealing the urgent need for maritime surveillance radar and a security wall, which hopefully will be given due attention in the upcoming 2026 Budget to be tabled this Friday.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said that although existing assets such as boats have been increased, staffing constraints hamper patrol operations along the border which still require additional support.

“Of course, we at this border need additional assets such as boats and patrol vehicles, but this must also be accompanied by an increase in personnel.

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“In addition, we also need drones to assist in patrols while waiting for the construction of the border wall,” he told Bernama at his office at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters here recently.

Mohd Yusoff said among the main needs at the moment is a sea control radar, since Kelantan does not yet have the system like the one in place on the west coast of the Peninsula.

“Without radar, it is difficult for us to monitor boat movement between Thailand and Malaysia because the sea area is vast, stretching for hundreds of nautical miles.

“Smuggling at sea is actually more rampant than on land. They use fishing boats and small ships to transfer oil and other goods in the middle of the sea,” he said.

According to him, the police patrol boats currently in use are small and can only operate in coastal areas up to about 20 nautical miles away, compared to the smugglers' C2 fishing boats which can travel up to 100 miles.

“In addition, there are many entry routes via the sea from Geting to Pulau Tengkorak, Tumpat. Conventional patrols using existing boats are very tiring and cost a lot of fuel.

“That is why surveillance radar is very important at the border. If it is installed on Pulau Tengkorak, we can monitor the movement of speedboats and identify the type of boat and activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the construction of a security wall on the Kelantan-Thailand border, he said that so far his party has not yet received an official response from the government, but was informed that the matter is under consideration.

“I hope that the construction of a security wall or fence as well as surveillance radar can be included in the 2026 Budget because it can curb cross-border crime more effectively,” he said.

On June 11, Mohd Yusoff was reported as saying that the construction of a permanent wall or fence (50-100 km) along the Kelantan-Thailand border is considered the most effective solution in combating smuggling activities in the state.

He said the 45-kilometre border is too open, making it difficult to control comprehensively.

The 2026 Budget is scheduled to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, in Parliament this Friday.

-- BERNAMA