A CHANCE encounter by Hulu Rajang MP with a group of 10 “suspicious looking” Indonesian nationals believed to have illegally crossed the porous Sarawak-Kalimantan border at Long Singut in rural Kapit, may speed up the state government’s decision to build permanent bases there.

Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said the encounter is one of the reasons why the state government is serious in having a permanent presence on the border.

While calling on Putrajaya, which has a purview on security matters, to investigate if the intrusion was part of a drug smuggling operation, Masing said the “jalan tikus” – small paths that cross the border – must be sealed.

That, he added, could only be done with a permanent presence of security personnel in remote places along the border.

“It’s no use for us to guard our front door,” he said, alluding to the airports and seaports, “while our back yard are wide open for smugglers.”

Masing chairs the security sub-committee in the state to stop Covid-19 infected foreigners sneaking into the state and Long Singut is in his constituency of Baleh.

“Apparently, they (the 10 Indonesian) have been in and out of this area many times over the years,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

He said he suspected the Indonesians might have links to Sarawakians in Kapit and even as far away as Sibu, who supplied them with foodstuff to take across the border in exchange for drugs.

He added he suspected the Sarawakians are using their position as traders as a front to mask drug smuggling activities. – May 20, 2020.