ARMY TO CONSIDER SETTING UP BORDER REGIMENT CORPS FOR EAST MALAYSIA

SUNGAI PETANI (Malaysia), Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Army chief, Muhammad Ismail
Jamaluddin Friday said the Armed Forces is mulling establishing a Border
Regiment Corps for East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak to strengthen
border security in the area.

He said the regiment would be set up if the newly-introduced concept
received a good response.

The Border Regiment Corps was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister Najib
Razak at the Territorial Army Base Camp in Tanah Merah in northeast state of
Kelantan in February.

"If a similar Border Regiment Corps is to be set up there (East Malaysia),
we will need a different module and system as the borders in East Malaysia
differ from those of Malaysia-Thailand, especially in the broadness of the
area," Ismail said. Part of the state of Kelantan borders with Thailand.

Ismail said this closing the Five-Power Defence Arrangement's Mutual
Exercise 2008 at the RMAF base, here Friday.

The annual exercise was participated by 2,058 officers and men from
Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom.
-- BERNAMA