New Thai regulations hurting boatmen

New Thai regulations hurting boatmen

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Some 200 Malaysian boatmen staged a protest Wednesday against a police crackdown on smuggling across a river on the border with Thailand.

The boatmen plying the Golok river in the coastal town of Tumpat in Kelantan state said the operation had dented their income and urged authorities to ease or lift new restrictions.

Spokesman Zamakhshani Taib said they had been earning up to 20 ringgit ($5.3) a day ferrying passengers across the river. But their earnings had been hit by new restrictions, he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency.

The boatmen must now ensure that all passengers have passports for the five-minute trip and must use only approved routes and jetties, he said. Marine police closed all illegal jetties from January 3 to prevent rampant smuggling of various items, including Thai rice.