Abdul Rahim, who served as Malaysia’s inspector-general of police from 1994 to 1999, will replace Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim who held the “hot seat” for several years.
“Not yet, they (the Malaysian government) have not officially informed us. It is an internal matter for Malaysia,” head of Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) Gen Wanlop Raksanor told Bernama when asked about the appointment.
He said it was up to Malaysia when it wants to inform Thailand about Abdul Rahim’s appointment.
Malaysia has been facilitating the latest push to bring peace to southern Thailand and has hosted several rounds of talks between Thailand’s peace negotiating panel and Mara Pattani, which represents several militant groups in the deep south.
When contacted, Gen Aksara Kerdpol who is head of the government’s peace negotiation panel, said he too had yet to be informed of the new development.
However, he said any decision on a new facilitator was up to Malaysia, and Thailand had no problem with it.
“The decision to change the facilitator is a matter of the neighbouring country, we have no problems with the change,” the former army chief of staff said.
A spokesman for Mara Patani, Abu Hafez Al-Hakim, also said his organisation had yet to be informed about the new facilitator. However, he claimed to have learned about Abdul Rahim’s appointment through unofficial means.
“Mara Patani, which consists of several militant groups, will convene an internal meeting soon to deliberate on the latest development,” he said.
Abdul Rahim was pivotal in the laying down of arms by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and signing of the Hatyai Peace Agreement in 1989 with the Malaysian government during his time as the Special Branch director.
When asked about Aksara’s future as the government’s lead negotiator in the peace talks amid speculation of a possible ouster, Wanlop said Aksara would continue to head Bangkok’s peace negotiation panel.
“The head of the Thai peace dialogue is still Gen Aksara, and in the future it will continue being the same person,” he said.
Matters regarding southern Thai peace talks are under the direct purview of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and the country’s NSC.
Since 2004, more than 7,000 people have died as a result of armed conflict in southern Thailand’s four provinces bordering northern Malaysia, according to NGO Deep South Watch which has been monitoring the conflict.