By Olivia Miwil - March 16, 2022 @ 12:21pm
KOTA KINABALU: It is time for Malaysia to focus on bringing development to Sabah and Sarawak as Indonesia is doing for Kalimantan.
Sabah special envoy for Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Tan Sri Pandikar Amin said Indonesia has made a bold move to shift its capital from Java island to Kalimantan.
"Although Kalimantan is quite far from Java and other islands, Kalimantan is also a region in Indonesia that fights for the country.
"The same goes for Sabah and Sarawak, since the country gained independence, both states have been supporting plans made by the central government.
"This is the message from Sabah and Sarawak that there should be focus on developing both states, apart from others in peninsular Malaysia," he said during a "Nusantara: Opportunities for BIMP EAGA" webinar hosted by Wisdom Foundation Malaysia last night.
Moderated by the foundation executive chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, Indonesian Consul General in Kota Kinabalu Rafail Walangitan, Indonesia Education and Culture ministry's vocational school directorate general Sandra Nahdar and the Kota Kinabalu member of parliament also took part.
He said with Indonesia shifting its capital, the government has no other option but to reciprocate with the current developments in Kalimantan.
Though there are existing efforts by both state and federal governments in developing ports in Sepanggar and Lahad Datu, as well as an entourage of federal ministers and Sabah Sarawak representatives to meet officials in Indonesia at the end of this month, Pandikar said there is more to be done.
Lahad Datu and Tawau are supposed to be the districts to benefit most from the economic spillover with the Indonesias capital relocation as the economic market is also growing bigger.
"We cannot just have Tawau as a municipality, it has to be developed as what is happening in the neighbouring country with its new capital.
"Projects such as the road connecting Serudong in Tawau to Indonesia's Simanggaris have to be done as soon as possible," he said, adding Sabah will also benefit as a shipping hub for Kalimantan.
Chan also echoed the need for the federal government to expedite projects especially on infrastructure development for better connectivity.
Based on questions he asked during the parliament sitting, he said Malaysia is slow in catching up with the current developments in the region.
"With the relocation of Indonesia, there is no doubt that the Republic will become a standard (benchmark) in Southeast Asia and emerge as a new regional power.
"For Sabah and Sarawak, we only have RM1 billion (each) to build Pan Borneo, and there is not enough money to expedite the Pan Borneo highway project in Sabah.
"What Malaysia has now is the TransBorneo road project to connect Sabah and Sarawak without passing Brunei, yet, we haven't come to the part on how to connect to Kalimantan," he said.
Chan also proposed to look into air connectivity in Tawau with Kalimantan, alternative shipping routes at Makassar straits, and the setting up of a border town for Sabah to fully tap the Indonesian capital relocation
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