KUCHING: Sarawak government is hopeful that the Malaysia – Indonesia Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) would resolve various issues pertaining to the border trade with West Kalimantan, particularly in Tebedu and Entikong.
Minister of International Trade and E-Commerce Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said Sarawak and West Kalimantan have an established socio-economic relationship due to the locality and demographic characteristics.
He pointed out the fact that Sarawak shares a very long borderline with Indonesian provinces in Borneo, which is also Malaysia’s longest land border with Indonesia.
“Sarawakians living at the border with Kalimantan has a very close relationship and even family ties with the Indonesians living at the West Kalimantan border. The people from both sides are living in peace and harmony, and in fact they are one community.
“We should therefore foster that sense of one community and shared destiny. We should boldly break new ground and create new impetus for common development,” he said at a welcoming dinner for the delegates to the JTIC meeting in Kuching, held at a leading hotel here on Thursday.
Also present at the dinner were Malaysia’s Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Indonesia’s Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita.
Wong, who is also Second Minister of Finance, quoted an old Chinese saying ‘Nothing, not even mountains and oceans can separate people if there are common goals and ideas’ to stress his point.
“Indeed, we are gathered here to foster greater goals, closer relationship for the noble cause of promoting mutually beneficial relations.
“As we all know, the world today is going through profound changes. Countries have increasingly become inter connected and inter dependent. The trend of times, ie. peace, development cooperation and mutual benefit is gaining momentum every day,” he said.
He also said Sarawak government hoped to foster closer cooperation with West Kalimantan in particular and with Indonesian government in general, to strengthen bilateral trade between the two regions.
“Sarawak would also like to continue expanding our trade and collaboration with the Government of Indonesia in other sectors namely in e-commerce, energy and telecommunications sectors, food and halal industries, health and education sectors, as well as other small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“We also welcome collaboration between the private sectors from Sarawak and West Kalimantan, to take advantage of business opportunities in Sarawak,” he said.