The Jakarta Post on July 30 2019 reported President Jokowi chooses Kalimantan to host new capital. Indonesia will move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan soon. It is expected Kalimantan will be flooded with additional one million people very soon.
With an additional one million population coming to Kalimantan, there would be lots of activities along the border. Many would cross the border and come to Sarawak bringing their produces as well as offering themselves as labourers, owing to currency exchange rate favoring Malaysia currency. The border would be very busy.
Our Sarawak border with Kalimantan is porous to infiltration by foreigners. Recently, there was much concerned of locals along the border been kidnapped purportedly by foreign soldiers.
In order to prevent infiltration of our border it is wise for the Sarawak government to revive its own defense system and not to be too dependent on the Malaysian army to patrol the border. Given the overwhelming security risk, it is time that Sarawak government should think to build its own army to protect our border. We don't want incidences like Sabah in past years was infiltrated by pirates because Sabah's coastal areas had not been guarded well. Perhaps it is time for revival of the Sarawak Rangers unit for special forces and border patrol, to supplement the Malaysian army, by handling Sarawak security to free Malaysian army to focus on Sabah coastal problem.
Likewise immigration system must be revamped and fully computerized with internet connection (via fiber or satellite connections) to immediately update the immigration system with visitor’s data and at the same time to cross checking with Malaysia database as well as Interpol record to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering Sarawak.
A weak defense and immigration system at the border will be a concern because this can invite terrorists to choose Sarawak as their base.
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Jokowi chooses Kalimantan to host new capital: Minister