Henry seen speaking to reporters at a gallery located next to the Tasik Biru lake.
BAU (Aug 31): Sarawak should have Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complexes on par with the ones in Indonesia along the Malaysia-Indonesia border, Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep has suggested.
He said he has seen the ICQS complexes currently being built by the Indonesian government which are very impressive and modern compared to the ones found in Malaysia at the moment.
“From what I saw, they are really taking the building of the complexes very seriously. Thus I hope the country (Malaysia) will build ours on par if not better than the ones found on the other side of the border,” he said when speaking to reporters yesterday.
Citing an example, Henry said the ICQS currently built in Jagoi Babang, West Kalimantan which neighbours Kampung Serikin located in his constituency looked impressive by his standards.
He thus hoped that the federal government will pay attention to what the Indonesian government is doing because the ICQS reflects the image of a country – its national pride and for its security.
“Once completed the Indonesian ICQS complex in Jagoi Babang will be equipped with many facilities, much like one we saw at Entikong, West Kalimantan which is now fully operational.
“The Indonesian government has also aggressively built properties, including the construction of a four-way road near their ICQS in Jagoi Babang,” he said.
With the Indonesian government building an ICQS complex in Jagoi Babang, Kampung Serikin in Bau will also have an ICQS complex, which Henry hoped would be on par with the ones at the other side of the border.
“The construction site area for the ICQS complex in Serikin has been cleared and the tender will be opened soon. It is timely that the complex is built because Serikin is an active area for trade activities between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said.
He informed that through sources from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the trade activities in the area generated about RM44 million in revenue a year for Malaysia.
However, he wants only the use of passports to be allowed at the ICQS in Kampung Serikin as opposed to cross-country border passes which allow only limited movement so that more investors from other parts of Indonesia outside of Jagoi Babang area will come to Serikin.
“Serikin has a strategic location and is close to Kuching City as compared to Tebedu or Biawak in the state,” he said.
Having said that, he acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic had put a damper on trading and development activities in Serikin.
Before speaking to reporters, Henry visited the Tasik Biru lake to check on the proposed developments which will be carried out by a contractor.