Photo shows the blockade mounted across the border on July 5.
MIRI (July 7): The Orang Ulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OUCCI) has called on the Malaysian and Indonesian governments to dismantle the monopoly of food and materials supply to Krayaan and allow for free trade between both sides of the border to resume.
Datuk Mutang Tagal
President Datuk Mutang Tagal said the current arrangement facilitated by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) due to the Movement Control Order to contain the Covid-19 pandemic is now obsolete.
“I will not vouch for monopoly now that the other three borders are open – Tebedu, Serikin, Lubok Antu – but only Ba Kelalan is still closed and my question is why?” he said.
“As president of OUCCI, I call for fair opportunities to be given to the businessmen and businesswomen, and traders in Ba Kelalan and Lawas, to supply goods to Krayaan so that they can make some decent profits too.”
According to him, North Kalimantan (Kaltara) Deputy Governor Dr Yansen Tipa Padan had urged all parties to resolve the issue in the best interests of the peoples in Krayan and Ba Kelalan.
Mutang, who is from Buduk Nur in Ba Kelalan, pointed out the Covid-19 situation has normalised and the governments should allow the market forces of demand and supply to dictate the pricing of goods instead of allowing just two co-operatives to monopolise it.
Yesterday, a meeting chaired by Lawas District Officer Ladin Atok was held with heads of government departments to facilitate the delivery of the last batch of goods under the bilateral agreement scheduled for tomorrow (July 8).
Mutang said the monopoly system on a government-to-government basis must be scrapped after this shipment and the business-to-business model implemented immediately.
He said the presence of government departments and agencies such as the Immigration Department, Customs Department, police, army, People’s Volunteer Corps, General Operations Force, apart from community leaders in Ba Kelalan, would be able to maintain order, peace, and security for the border trade.
According to him, the Ba Kelalan community leaders could also maintain social and community peace on both sides as many are actually relatives.
The population in Krayaan need food, household, construction, spare parts, and other essentials from Malaysia as it very costly and difficult to fly them in from Tarakan, Melinau, Nunukan, or Tanjong Selor.
Consumers in Krayaan currently have to buy their essentials at high prices, leading villagers to protest at the border recently with a blockade mounted on the only link road between Long Midang in Kaltara and Ba Kelalan.
Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian had called on the government to investigate the alleged monopoly of trade by an individual on the Malaysian side, which resulted in the blockade on July 5.