Serikin is a hotbed of activity with its many stalls and markets. File Photo
THE Federal Government has been urged to consider the construction and establishment of a Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Serikin to better control the movement of traffic, people and goods from Kalimantan, Indonesia into Malaysia in order to enhance border security between the two countries.
Tasik Biru assemblyman Dato Henry Harry Jinep said it was a known fact that there was little security at the Serikin border.
lndonesian traders, he noted, move freely to trade and sell their goods in Serikin which lies inside Malaysian territory.
“There may be criminal elements moving and intermingling among the traders that could pose security threats.
“We should not be complacent. We should learn from the arrest of foreign terror suspects arrested in Serian in March 2019. We should remain vigilant,” he said when debating on the Yang DiPertua Negeri’s address.
Jinep pointed out that the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on Border Management stated that “Effective border security is key to the effective implementation of counter-terrorism measures pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001). It is the first line of defence against the movement of terrorists across borders and the illegal cross border movement of goods and cargo”.
He noted that Tasik Biru was home to a thriving Serikin weekend market, which has attracted a steady flow of customers from all over Malaysia and foreign tourists.
He said it was also no surprise that most of the stalls at the Serikin weekend market were operated by Indonesians.
“The lack of CIQ checkpoints in Serikin means that there is a free flow of people, goods and vehicles from Kalimantan, Indonesia into Malaysia.
“This can create a dangerous situation for Malaysia,” he cautioned.
He commended security personnel, notably the Army and the police for safeguarding Serikin from any untoward incidents that may endanger the lives and properties of the people there and neighbouring villages.
Both the Army and the police, he explained, have on many occasions successfully thwarted smuggling and thefts of controlled items and vehicles from Sarawak into Kalimantan.