Malaysia catches 34 students using illegal crossing along Thai border to attend Kelantan school
Earlier reports identified the students as being Thai nationals but initial investigations found that the 34 were Malaysians residing in Thailand, said Kelantan’s police chief.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities on Sunday (Apr 12) detained 34 schoolchildren for nearly 16 hours for entering the country from Thailand in the northern state of Kelantan to attend school.
Earlier reports identified the students as being Thai nationals but initial investigations found that the 34 were Malaysians residing in Thailand, said Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat.
They were found to have routinely used illegal jetties to attend school in Rantau Panjang, a prominent border town in Kelantan. In Malaysia, schools in Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu begin their school week on Sunday.
The students, aged between seven and 16, either carried MyKid - a chip-based identification card issued to children under 12 - or other types of identity cards with them, or had their identification documents brought later by their parents or guardians.
They were detained by Malaysia’s General Operations Force (GOF) at 6.30am at a crossing along Sungai Golok. The GOF is a unit within the Royal Malaysia Police specialising in border security, among others.
“We detained them under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and handed the case over to the immigration department for further action,” said Yusoff.
“We cannot exempt anyone, including students, when it comes to cross-border movement using illegal routes.”
The students were released on bail on Sunday night at about 10.15pm alongside two Malaysian guarantors after their statements were recorded, added Yusoff.
Under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act, those convicted can be deported from Malaysia by order of the Director General unless they are a Malaysian citizen.
Yusoff said on Monday that families of the schoolchildren were already aware that illegal crossings were not allowed for school travel and that legal routes must be used instead.
"If I allow this group of students to cross illegally, irresponsible parties may take advantage of them to bring in prohibited items,” he warned.
Yusoff added that illegal crossing routes along the border have been closed for more than a year and everyone should already be aware of the law.
"I have previously made it clear that anyone wishing to cross the border must use legal routes, namely the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complexes, including students and schoolchildren,” Yusoff said.
Hundreds of students consisting of both Malaysia and Thai citizens were known to cross over from Thailand to attend school in Malaysia daily.
Authorities had previously warned that those who crossed the border illegally, especially via Sungai Golok, would be arrested. This comes amid a crackdown on cross-border smuggling of drugs and firearms, fuelled by illicit crossings.
Rantau Panjang, a duty-free zone in Kelantan, is a stone’s throw from Sungai Golok town in Thailand’s Narathiwat province. It is located next to a bridge roughly 100m long that connects Kelantan to Sungai Golok and once saw a steady stream of visitors from both sides of the border.
The Malaysian authorities’ clampdown on illegal border crossings have affected businesses in Rantau Panjang. When CNA visited the area in September last year, many shops were shuttered amid reports that the state government was finding a new location for the once-bustling zone now bereft of customers.
As little as 30m separates Thailand and Malaysia at the Sungai Golok-Kelantan border, reported news agency Bernama in 2020.
