Thai Conflict Must Be Tackled Carefully As It Can Impact Malaysia

SHAH ALAM (Selangor, Malaysia), April 3 (Bernama) -- The conflict and violence in South Thailand should be carefully tackled as it could impact Malaysia, said Malaysia's Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. As such, he said, the approach 'Prosper thy Neighbour' was apt in the bilateral Malaysia-Thailand ties where Malaysia prospered neighbour Thailand, and the prosperity was shared by the two countries. He said this in a statement at a press conference after opening a 1Malaysia Unity Programme, 'Roles and Challenges in Realising National Transformation' here Monday. "If the problems there cannot be contained, we will be facing problems of legal and illegal migrations," he said when asked to comment on the bombing incidents in South Thailand which left 14 people dead and 500 injured. He said, during the first visit of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawarta to Malaysia in February, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had stressed socio-economic approach was more suitable to solve the conflict in South Thailand than a military one. "We have made several suggestions, among which is to provide more economic opportunities for Muslims in South Thailand, implement an education system incorporating the religious schools and academic systems and administer mosques as is being done in Malaysia," said Ahmad Zahid. He said, to date, the implementation of the programmes suggested by Malaysia was carried out through non-governmental organisations and several agencies in Thailand, without involving any Malaysian agency. "We do not want to interfere in Thai politics but we are concerned as to what is happening in South Thailand because we feel that a peaceful neighbour is one of our defences," he said. He said discussions between Kuala Lumpur and Thailand also resulted in the issuance of scholarships by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) to students from the turbulent region to continue their studies at University of Petronas. Apart from that, he said Malaysia would also train manpower from South Thailand, adding that the Federal Teritory Islamic Religious Department had trained nurses from South Thailand at the Islamic Treatment Centre in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, religious school students from South Thailand were also taught English Language to indicate the Malaysian education system could be shared by students from Thailand, he added. -- BERNAMA