China has expressed its willingness to transfer its border control technology to Malaysia in assisting the latter to strengthen its relevant agencies.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia could learn a lot from China, particularly in Yunnan Province which controls its borders with neighbouring Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam involving 4,060 kilometres.

He said in two months' time, Malaysia would be sending a group of 10 officers from various agencies such as National Security Council, Immigration, Malaysian Border Security Agency, police and military to China to undergo training and learn China's border control standard operating procedure.

"The discussion with authorities in Yunnan Province today was indepth and operational in nature, covering three main issues crucial to Malaysia's authorities and enforcement agencies, that is, security control, drug entry from the Golden Triangle and terrorism," he said.

He said this at a media conference after the discussion with Yunnan Department of Public Security deputy director-general Guo Bao, at a hotel in Kunming on the fifth day of his working visit to China today.

The group of officers would be led by National Security director-general Gen (Rtd) Zulkifeli Mohamad Zin, he said.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, also disclosed that his ministry submitted seven proposals to the Security Council for discussion and implementation, to empower border control including finance package.

He said the discussions would be analysed upon the group's return from China.

"In my opinion, border matters are not only about the physical wall but must have one specific system integration to include new technology and the scientific approaches proposed by Yunnan authorities," he said.

For example, he said, Malaysia's current control system at the Thai border was more of a barbed fence or wall, compared to China's sophisticated drone technology, satellite and high definition CCTV, among others.

"...we don't have all these, maybe the cost is too high. With this discussion we had with China, maybe we can talk about transfer of technology by way of 'Build Lease Manage and Transfer', with certain agencies in China collaborating with agencies in Malaysia, whereby the cost could be reduced," he said.

- Bernama