RANTAU PANJANG: Once a bustling stretch of river known for its constant flow of small boats and quiet cross-border exchanges, the Golok River now lies eerily silent.
A visit by the New Straits Times to several illegal jetties along the river here found the area unusually calm, with no boats crossing between the Kelantan riverbank and the opposite bank in Sungai Golok town.
The waterway — long associated with smuggling and informal trade — has slowed to a standstill as smugglers, both local and Thai, appear to have suspended their activities following news of an impending large-scale demolition of illegal jetties.
During the visit, only a handful of boats, believed to belong to Thais, were seen moored quietly at the illegal jetties on the Thai side of the river, with no sign of movement or trade taking place.
For locals living near the river, the stillness marks a striking contrast to what used to be daily life along the border.
“Usually, by this hour, you’d hear the sound of boat engines and people moving goods across. Now, it’s completely different, just silence,” said a resident who only wanted to be known as Zira.
The 30-year-old, who operates a shop in the Rantau Panjang duty-free zone, said the absence of cross-border activity is expected to continue as enforcement teams prepare to move in, bringing an end to decades of unregulated river trade that once defined life along the Golok River.
“The move to demolish all the illegal jetties will put a stop to all these illegal activities,” said the mother of two.
Kelantan authorities recently announced plans to demolish 212 illegal jetties built along the Malaysia-Thailand border, in a move aimed at tightening control over cross-border crime, including the smuggling of subsidised goods and contraband.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
