Masir wants ministry to stop Indonesian Army men from entering Lachau without proper papers

KUCHING: Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat is sending an SOS to the Ministry of Defence to stop Indonesian Army ( TNI) personnel from coming over to Lachau to obtain foodstuff without proper documentations.

Ac c or d ing to hi m, TNI personnel often cross the border to buy things even while wearing their uniform.

“We are very concerned about the breach of security along the border near Lachau. And I am calling on the relevant authorities to immediately strengthen our border near Lachau,” Masir told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

He added that he had even briefed the Inspector- General of Police ( IGP) and his deputy on the danger of such infi ltration but so far, nothing concrete had come out from the meetings.

“I have briefed both the IGP and the deputy IGP. What we hope for is for the government to expedite construction of a border post near Lachau so that there is proper monitoring of people crossing over here to trade,” he said.

Lachau, some 150km from here, is a thriving town close to the border with Kalimantan.

According to Masir, currently only six police personnel are stationed in the town to look after a vast area.

“Surely, we do not want something like the Confrontation to repeat itself. So we cannot be complacent,” he warned.

Masir, who is Sri Aman MP, said he was disappointed by the slow reaction of the relevant authorities in curbing infi ltration along the border even though he had been highlighting the matter many times.

“Of course I ’ m upset and disappointed – despite my recommendation for immediate remedy to tackle the issue, it’s still happening,” he said.

Asked why as a Deputy Home Mini ster, he st il l found it difficult to get things going, he said: “Perhaps they don’t see the urgency in it as they do not go to the ground to check.”

On a related issue, Masir said generally security along the border throughout the country had been beefed up in the wake of possible infi ltration of terrorists following a series of terrorist attacks involving militants in Marawi in Mindanao of the Southern Philippines, in Indonesia and Bangkok recently.

Meanwhile when contacted, the vice- consul at the Indonesia Consulate- General here, Ringgi Perdini, said she would check with her government before making any comments.

At at press time, the First Infantry Division Commander Major General Datuk Stephen Mundaw could not be reached for comments.