KOTA BARU: The 303 students who live in Thailand but cross Sungai Golok illegally into Kelantan daily to attend school are given four option before the crackdown on illicit crossings starts on Dec 1.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the first option was students would be offered places at their school hostel.
He said if their school did not have a hostel, option two would be staying at the lodgings of another institution.
Yusoff said the third option was for students to rent a house near the school and the last option was to enter Kelantan via the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex.
"Based on the National Security Council's (NSC) figures, 303 students use illegal jetties every day, as their parents live in Sungai Golok town.
"Of that number, 221 attend Education Ministry institutions and 82 are studying at Kelantan Islamic Foundation facilities.
"These four options were decided at yesterday's NSC meeting," he added.
Yusoff said the state Education Department would manage the issue.
Last Monday, Yusoff said from Dec 1, anyone caught crossing the Thai border illegally could face a fine of RM10,000.
(https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/1136275/rm10000-fine-starting...)
He said all security agencies had been ordered to arrest people using illegal jetties.
He said police wanted travellers to use the ICQS Complex.
Many Malaysians cross into Thailand for shopping and entertainment, which is restricted in Kelantan.
However, many are believed to prefer entering Thailand by crossing Sungai Golok illegally via the many jetties that dot the river, which is part of the Malaysian-Thai border.
Smuggling is also rampant along the porous 96km-long border.