KUCHING – Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has raised concerns over alleged illegal trade between Indonesia and Malaysia at the border towns of Puneng Kelalan in Sarawak and Long Bawan in Kalimantan.
“While we have no issue about helping our neighbours in these tough times, it appears that there are some unscrupulous people taking advantage of the arrangement between the federal government and Indonesia for their own gain.
“I was informed that there were three occasions so far arranged through the relevant ministries. But the problem is many private individuals are now illegally transporting and selling goods to Indonesia, although the border is closed due to the CMCO (conditional movement control order).”
Baru, who is also Selangau MP, said in an incident a few days ago, some 30 to 40 four-wheel vehicles made the journey to Puneng Kelalan.
“A huge volume of goods was left on the Malaysian side near the army post for Indonesians to pick up.”
He added that the villagers observed there appeared to be no control over the number of people coming into Sarawak to pick up the goods.
“I was told that some Indonesians even went as far as Lawas town to run errands and shop. Some of the villagers here claim that Sarawakians have taken advantage of this lax border control to illegally slip back into the state without going through the compulsory health checks and quarantine.
“Some are paying (between) RM400 and RM500 to be ferried from the border to Lawas.”
He said there was no compliance to standard operating procedures (SOPs), people did not wear masks, and it looked like people were freely travelling in and out of Sarawak.
He also called on security personnel at the border to be mindful that this is a health and safety issue for the whole of Sarawak, and they are compelled to guard the border even more rigorously than before.
“Instead, our security is being breached and our border is not protected as it should be. I hope the authorities can come forward to clarify the issue and put our minds at ease.
“The two main worries arising from this situation are our border security and the lack of health and safety checks.
“As everyone is aware, Covid-19 cases in Sarawak are still high compared to the rest of the country and was the highest in the country yesterday.
“It was reported three days ago that the health minister on a visit to Kuching did not deny that lax compliance with (Covid-19) SOPs was a cause of the rise of the R-naught (infectivity rate) in Sarawak to 1.1 from 1.08 the day before.
“We do not want to see clusters in Puneng Kelalan or Lawas. This is a serious threat to lives and we need some answers and strict action from the government on these issues.” – The Vibes, April 16, 2021
