BANGKOK: The Home Minister has been asked to revoke a directive banning Malaysia and Thailand Customs officers from using the special lanes at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex here.
Bukit Kayu Hitam assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Zaini Japar said currently, the special lanes could only be used by military and police personnel.
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He said the directive was issued by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim and took immediate effect, following a visit to the complex on Sept 17.
“Over the past 27 years, Customs officers from Malaysia and Thailand could use the lanes for various purposes.
“Likewise, Thailand has allowed government officers from Malaysia to use the special lanes at their border entry.
“But now, we have been receiving complaints from the Thai officers that they are no longer allowed to use the special lanes to enter Malaysia.
“We don’t want this issue to jeopardise the existing good ties between officers from the two countries,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Ahmad Zaini said recently, an officer from the Malaysian Consulate to Thailand had also been barred from using the special lanes and was asked to use the normal lanes.
He said a letter concerning this matter had been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who is also Home Minister, on Oct 3, and it was hoped that a solution to the problem would be found soon.
The directive, he said, had also caused problems to 100 workers in the duty-free zone here as they now had to pay toll of RM3.60.
“Before this, the workers were allowed to use the special lanes to the duty-free zone.
“On average, they earn only RM900 monthly and if they are forced to use the toll lane, it will definitely burden them,” he added.
