Malaysia-Thailand GBC meeting may be held September

The Malaysia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) meeting scheduled for November will be held two months earlier, following a series of bomb blasts in Thailand's southern provinces.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he would discuss with his Thai counterpart, General Prawit Wongsuwan on the meeting which was expected to be held next month.

"Through this meeting, the two sides will discuss efforts to strengthen the exchange of intelligence information and mechanisms in the two countries to curb violence," he told reporters after opening the Segambut Umno division delegates meeting here today.

In a series of bombings in southern Thailand, two homemade bombs exploded in the popular island resort of Phuket, one each in Patong and Kathu at 7.45am (local time) and 8.45am. One person sustained minor injury.

Hishammuddin said the meeting was important because similar incidents could occur in other places, including Malaysia, especially with threats from militant groups such as Daish.

The annual GBC meeting is chaired by the defence ministers of both countries to strengthen existing bilateral cooperation in matters of security, immigration and border management in the area along the Malaysia-Thailand border.

In a similar development, Hishammuddin said to avoid incidents such as the bomb blast at Movida, an entertainment outlet in Puchong, from recurring, security had been tightened at the border, as well as in public places such as shopping centres, airports and other places of high risk.