THE MALAYSIAN Army has been tasked with building seven new security checkpoints along the border between Kalimantan in Indonesia and the neighbouring states of Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo Island.
This comes following the discovery of "rat holes" along the snaking 1,881km boundary line between Malaysia and Indonesia.
These are illegal tracts to gain access into Malaysia established mostly by human traffickers, enabling foreign workers and other aspiring migrants without permits to seep into the country.
In Sarawak, new rat holes are emerging undetected along the 1,000km from the mountains of Ba’kelalan in northereastern Sarawak to the tip of Sematan at the western corner of the state.
There are also numerous syndicates smuggling goods and even weapons from the southern neighbour into Malaysia.
The situation is exacerbated by rising development in the Kalimantan provinces that is seeing a surge in populations there.
Army Eastern Commander General Datuk Mohd Safi Mohd Lepi said the new checkpoints are being constructed now and are expected to be completed soon.
Six of the posts will be in the Sarawakian border districts of Lundu, Serian, Balai Ringin (all in southern Sarawak), Lubok Antu (two posts, central Sarawak) and Padaleh in the Bario Highlands (northern Sarawak).
He stressed that watchfulness and enforcement at international borders are key to national security.
"We need more border posts to maintain and enhance national security of our states and country.
"They are also used as bases where we operate to stop entry of illegals,” he said when visiting the Kuching Penrissen Army Camp in the state capital yesterday.
"With the six new checkpoints to be built plus the new one in Sabah, East Malaysia will have a total of 18 border security posts manned by the Malaysian Army," he said.
The Sarawak government has been asking for more border checkpoints to be set up not just by the Army but also by other enforcement agencies like the Customs Department.
Last year, the state had said it is working closely with Putrajaya to upgrade numerous border posts along the long Sarawak-Kalimantan boundary.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg had cited an urgent need to beef up security to prevent smuggling.
In particular, there is fast-paced and intense development in the border regions that Is compounding the problem.
This comes in the wake of major activities on the Kalimantan side due to the upcoming new city of Nusantara.
Controlling people and goods
In addition to building more posts, there is also a pressing need to upgrade the present facilities.
The two states need to liaise closely with Putrajaya on border security enhancement.
While border control comes under the federal government, the lands along the border are under the purview of the state governments.
The upgrading covers improving the present border posts, and developing new security and immigration complexes at these sites, where there are none.
The already existing checkpoints are at Tebedu, Lundu (both in southern Sarawak), Long Singgut, Tapak Megah (both in central Sarawak) and Ba’kelalan (in northern Sarawak).
All of them are undergoing major infrastructure upgrading.
The police have also emphasised on the need for enhanced and tightened security along the Sarawak-Kalimantan boundary to prevent influx of illegals into the state for work and for smuggling activities.
The General Operations Force (GOF) set up a new base adjacent to Kalimantan in Sri Aman district, about 200km from Kuching.
Two more GOF bases are being established in Sabah.
Bukit Aman director of Internal Security and Public Order Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali last year said that a battalion was stationed at the Sri Aman base.
The GOF bases also function to control movement of people and goods, for which better monitoring is needed.
The existing GOF base in Sibu district focuses on key border points along Sibu, Kapit, Belaga and all the way to Ba’kelalan. – The Vibes, January 20, 2024
