Result of Malaysia's election unlikely to affect peace talks in Thai Far South

BANGKOK, May 10 (TNA) - The result of Malaysia's general election, in which the neighboring country's 92-year-old former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad won the latest national poll, should not affect peace negotiations between representatives of the Thai government and insurgency groups in the troubled Thai Far South. General Aksara Kerdphol, who leads the Thai government's negotiation team, made the assessment in Bangkok on Thursday, following news reports that the Malaysian former premier, who steered the neighboring country's government for 22 years in the past and now heads the Pakatan Harapan (PH) political camp, gained the victory from the May 9 general election, defeating caretaker Prime Minister Najib Razak of the six-decade ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) or the National Front Party. "I believe that the changing political situation and ruling camp in Malaysia, the coordinator of the peace negotiation process in the Thai Far South, should not affect the peace talks as the ongoing process is based on the international principle obliged by governments globally", General Aksara told journalists. General Aksara said people should not, thus, be concerned, noting that his team has closely followed up updates in Malaysia before taking any further step. General Aksara, meanwhile, revealed that the Thai government will closely monitor the updated situation in Joh Ai Rong District of Narathiwat Province in the Thai Deep South for another six months before making a final decision on whether the administration should declare the district a safety zone from insurgency as planned. (TNA)