THE Malaysian Universities Alumni of Thailand (MUAT) has called on Malaysia to increase the intake of students into its universities from the neighbouring Thai southernmost provinces to help counter the unrest there.
Its president, Tuan Daniya Meringing, who studied at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said education is seen as a better tool to counter the spate of violence, which has affected the region of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala for the better part of 100 years.
"I think we need to utilise education as a medium for change; to reform how things are done in southern Thailand, as it can then arrest the feeling of hopelessness which has given rise to militancy or separatists in southern Thailand.
"If we educate more villagers down south, we can stimulate better economic growth and in time end the cycle of violence in places we call our hometowns."
Daniya, who is part of journalists reporting in southern Thailand, told The Vibes that in the 1970s to the early 2000s, the public institutions of higher learning allowed the intake of southern Thai students.
However, the numbers of less than a hundred annually were inadequate, as the combined population of those in the southern Thai provinces is around three to five million if the more progressive provinces of Songkhla, Satun and Krabi as well as Phatthalung were also taken into account, he said.
Daniya said that for now, Indonesia is taking in more southern Thai students compared to Malaysia.
The population base of Thailand is around 72 million.
"Southern Thais prefer education in Malaysia because of the proximity; language, culture and food similarities. We comprehend Malay (Yawi dialect), and the majority of those in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani are Muslims by religion."
Part of the then Pattani kingdom was annexed in the landmark agreement between the Siamese kingdom and the British colonists in 1909 under what is defined as the Anglo-Siamese Treaty.
It set the modern border demarcation between Malaysia and Thailand, allowing Britain to gain more control of four northern Malay Sultanate states from Siam.
Daniya said that the over two million population in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have come to accept conflict as a way of life, but they are hoping that sustainable peace can be attained in one of the entrenched hostile territories in the region.
In the past month, southern Thailand was once again rocked by the ambush killings of five Thai militia soldiers deployed at a checkpoint in Narathiwat and bombings, arson and shootouts in 73 locations throughout the three provinces.
More than 7,000 people have died in the conflict, which flared back up in 2004.
Daniya also urged Malaysia to play a bigger role as a peace mediator, saying that the biggest prize is to see the southern Thais' economy developed on par with the rest of Thailand and Malaysia.
He also urged Malaysia to offer working permits to Thai workers employed at around 10,000 Tom Yam cafes, which have mushroomed in various parts of the peninsula.
"If they are deported back to southern Thailand, there are no proper jobs, and they may end up in the cycle of violence plaguing the provinces," he said.
Daniya alleged that the violence in southern Thailand is perpetuated by three elements - the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist movement, rogue Thai security members and narcotic syndicates.
Rights groups should also set up monitors, as part of the peace initiatives, which both Thailand and Malaysia are committed to, he said. - August 28, 2026.
