He said the move was part of the government’s efforts to address cross-border crime issues, in line with Malaysia and Thailand’s commitment to boost the economy in the north of Malaysia’s peninsula and southern Thailand.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said he would meet with Thailand’s prime minister Srettha Thavisin on Aug 3 to discuss national security and economic matters for both countries.

“I will meet him in Sungai Golok and Rantau Panjang to discuss border security and efforts to stimulate economic growth in the northern part of peninsula Malaysia.

“To facilitate this, I have approved an additional allocation of RM100 million for the borders of Kedah, Kelantan, and Perlis,” he said during the launch of National Security Month at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

Anwar also instructed that government procedures for the improvement of border security be simplified.

However, he said that the purchase of security assets must be done in a more organised manner, to ensure that the procurement process is carried out with integrity and in a cost-effective manner.

He also said that the Malaysia Madani concept had borne fruit, with the country leaping nine spots in the 2024 Global Peace Index and ranking among the 10 safest countries in the world.

“Malaysia also scored 1.48 on the 2023 National Security Index, a highly commendable achievement,” he said.