BUSINESSES in the northern town of Miri have finally received the news that they have been waiting months for –  that the Sarawak–Brunei border will be reopened.

Their hopes were buoyed when the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on Tuesday Malaysia and Brunei have agreed in principle to implement the air and land vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between the two countries.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposition of travel restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, the one million Bruneians who crossed the border to Sarawak yearly, particularly to Miri, Limbang and Lawas on weekends for shopping, food, recreation and entertainment, made up for more than 50% of the 2.1 million foreign visitors to the state.

In 2018, 1.32 million Bruneians visited Sarawak, the majority Miri, though in 2019 the numbers dipped slightly to 1.296 million.

On average, some 30,000 Bruneians go to Sarawak a week, turning Miri into a congested town.

But the locals are not only used to it. They welcome it.

“Never mind the congestion,” Miri Mayor Adam Yii said.

“It’s bustling shopping malls and food outlets and full hotels we want to see,” Yii, who is also the Pujut assemblyman, told The Malaysian Insight.

Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah said he was excited that the borders could reopen soon.

“Brunei is Sarawak’s largest tourism market,’’ Karim said.

He hoped the VTL “will see a return of large numbers of Bruneians to Sarawak”.

A strong Brunei dollar and an absence of nightlife and strict restrictions on alcohol consumption in the tiny oil rich sultanate are driving Bruneians to Miri.

It is not uncommon to see at the Sg Tujoh border crossing the boot of Brunei registered cars filled to the brim with their weekend shopping on their return home.

The drive from Brunei to Miri is relatively short on a well-built asphalt road.

From the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, the 155km drive to Miri is only about two hours, while from Seria, the sultanate’s other major town, it’s about an hour for the 61.6 km trip.

It’s an even shorter drive for Brunei folk living in the district Temburong to get to either Limbang or Lawas further to the north.

It takes only a few minutes for them to get to these towns.

Temburong is a sliver of land that is wedged between Limbang and Lawas.

“Miri will welcome Bruneians to come to do their shopping and to relax,” Yii said.

“The VTL (is) the most welcome news for Miri.”

Yii said the reopening of the border will also help reunite families again.

He was referring to the thousands of Miri people working in Brunei who were “stranded” following the border closure.

“They can now look forward to coming back and seeing their families again.”

The border reopening will also lift the restrictions on movement of people and goods between Miri and Limbang and Lawas.

There is only one road from Miri to Limbang and Lawas and it passes through Brunei.

Brunei currently only allows vaccinated Sarawak registered transport operators with cross-country permits it issued for import deliveries of essential goods to make the transit.

Sarawak civil servants travelling for business, students and emergency services workers who need to make a transit, for example from Miri to Limbang or Limbang to Lawas, must get permission from their local authorities. – February 21, 2022.