In an interview with a news portal, the PM questioned the need for a wall that obscured the activities taking place within from public view. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Fresh from his official trip to China, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he intended for a solid wall around the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) to be dismantled.

In an interview with the Malaysiakini news portal, the prime minister questioned the need for a wall that obscured the activities taking place within from public view.

He said the park occupied Malaysia’s sovereign territory and was subject to all the country’s laws and regulations, in response to allegations that local officials were barred from entry.

“Nobody has ever done that. You build a wall around an industrial park and you don’t even allow Malaysians to go in.

“So we need to take down walls and all that because these are wrong in our country,” he was quoted as saying.

The park was opened in 2013. Kuantan Pahang Holding Sdn Bhd is the nominal majority owner, while a subsidiary of the Guangxi Autonomous Region authority owns 49 per cent.

Pahang is the home state of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and remains under Barisan Nasional rule.