Government wants to review border security agreements - Zahid

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Malaysia-Thailand General Border Committee Meeting, for example, must be reviewed to boost security measures at the border areas between both countries.

"The review must be prioritised because the transit camps (for human trafficking victims) at the border (Wang Kelian) could not be reached and located by the Malaysian authorities.

"This is due to the steepness and inaccessibility of the area from the Malaysian side of the border. On the other hand, it is closer to and accessible via Thailand," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here, on Monday.

However, he said, the government thanked the Thai authorities which had extended their cooperation over the matter.

Ahmad Zahid said the government would also review the role of the Anti-Smuggling Unit comprising the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Malaysian Customs Department and Immigration Department.

He said the proposal paper on the matter was being prepared by his ministry and would be submitted to the Cabinet soon.

On another development, he said the government was also cooperating with the Bangladeshi and Myanmar governments to extradite Malaysians involved in human trafficking who were hiding there, to be tried in this country.

"Arrests of Malaysians have been made, and Thailand have also arrested their citizens. We will charge them in court," he said.

On the remains of 106 human trafficking victims sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Kedah for autopsy, he said the forensic examinations found four major causes of deaths, namely diseases, hunger, torture and probably, murder.

"The first we found was a human skeleton in a cage which was left there until it dried out. This was among the elements of torture identified," he said.