KUCHING: A border security road network is the most practical solution to enhance the security of the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, especially during this critical time, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
He said if the whole of Indonesia were to be struck by the Covid-19 pandemic, it would be difficult to contain the virus.
“The vastness of the country makes the containment of Covid-19 very difficult. The figures shown would not give the true reflection of those infected,” he said today.
Masing noted that Sarawak had over 1,000km of jungle-covered border, with jalan tikus (illegal routes) all over.
“How to seal all of them?” he asked.
He said that the Public Works Department (JKR) had proposed the border security road alignment and the government had agreed.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we may have to reconsider the schedule of implementation,” he said, stressing that the border must be very much secured.
Masing also said that the network would protect the state’s assets, namely the four hydroelectric plants of Bakun, Murum, Baleh, and Batang Ai.
At the same time, it would improve the accessibility and development of remote regions of Sarawak.
