MINDEF Focuses On Enhancing Malaysia-Kalimantan Border Control Posts

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Defence is focusing its efforts on enhancing control posts along the border areas, particularly between Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Its deputy minister, Adly Zahari said the ministry is committed to ensuring the construction of new control posts could be continued to safeguard national border security, although there are logistical challenges in building posts at certain locations.

“Overall, under the Ministry of Defence framework for this year and the next, improvements to the posts will definitely be stepped up along the Kalimantan border.

“Our challenge in providing control posts along the Kalimantan border is in terms of logistics… based on contractors’ experience. It’s difficult to build control posts in certain areas as they are in very remote areas,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (GPS-Selangau), who asked about the status of constructing a control post in Long Singut, Kapit, Sarawak, which borders Kalimantan, to curb intrusion and cross-border crimes.

Meanwhile, Adly said a total of 60 officers and 1,004 personnel of various ranks (LLP) of the Malaysian Army (TDM) have been mobilised in operations involving areas along the Malaysia-Thailand border.

“This operation encompasses Op Pagar II and Op Kota Bravo/Charlie/Delta in Kedah, Op Pagar III and Op Kota Echo/Foxtrot in Perak and Op Merpati Sector 8 Brigade in Kelantan,” he said.

He said this in reply to the original question from Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN-Sik), who asked about the deployment status of personnel and defence assets along the Kedah, Perlis, Perak and Kelantan borders to tackle the threats of encroachment, smuggling and cross-border activities that have been on the rise since 2023.

Adly said the implementation of the projects had been enhanced through the deployment of new assets, such as four-wheel drive vehicles, scrambler motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as continuous maintenance of infrastructure at all operational posts coordinated by the Operations Planning Committee.

He said that border control efforts are also being strengthened with bilateral cooperation between the TDM and the Royal Thai Army through the Malaysia-Thailand General Border Committee agreement.

“This cooperation includes Regional Border Committee meetings, Land Working Group meetings, and joint patrols under the Combined Force Border Patrol coordinated by the Malaysia-Thailand Border Coordination Office,” he said.

He said four Coordinated Border Posts (PSTs) have also been established through the construction of posts next to each other between the two countries, namely PST Ban Di Da and Ban Di Samoe in Sik, Kedah, and PST 34 and 36/100 in Durian Burung, Padang Terap, Kedah.

-- BERNAMA