THE federal and state governments must urgently begin planning the construction of a superhighway along the 1,000km mountainous border between Sarawak and Kalimantan in central Borneo.
This highway is crucial to ensure that the interior population along the border can benefit from the rapid socio-economic developments occurring across the border in Kalimantan, where Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, is being developed.
Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat chairman, Roland Engan, emphasised today that both Putrajaya and Kuching should already be assembling ground teams to initiate this border highway project.
"The highway is essential for the rural population to seize the opportunities emerging at the border. For too long, rural Sarawak has suffered from poor road connectivity, which is why our rural communities remain impoverished and underdeveloped," Engan told reporters.
He acknowledged that such a project would require a substantial investment and urged for federal funding to be allocated.
Nusantara is witnessing rapid construction of government buildings, industrial sites, commercial centres, and housing estates. Last week, Indonesia officially relocated its presidential office from Jakarta to Nusantara.
On 31st May, Putrajaya announced that it had identified two critical border points in East Malaysia, leading to the new Indonesian capital, for priority development. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Tebedu checkpoint in southern Sarawak and the Kalabakan checkpoint in eastern Sabah are earmarked for significant upgrades to their immigration and customs facilities, along with other supporting infrastructure.
"We expect a surge in cross-border movement of people, as well as economic and industrial linkages, as the new capital of Nusantara continues to develop rapidly," the minister said after visiting the Bekenu Immigration Depot.
The Malaysian Army is also set to construct more security outposts along the East Malaysian border with Kalimantan. On September 24 last year, the Federal Government and the Malaysian Armed Forces announced the construction of 19 new border-security posts, 14 in Sarawak and five in Sabah, to be manned by the Malaysian Army.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari stated that these posts will be built in stages, with all 19 expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Upon completion, East Malaysia will have a total of 36 border-security posts along its border with Kalimantan.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, the Federal Government has prioritised border security infrastructure in Sarawak and Sabah, allocating approximately RM70 million for projects along Sarawak's 1,000km border with Kalimantan. – September 15, 2024.
