‘Relocation of Indonesia’s capital a boon for Sarawak’
Sarawak will receive economic spillover from Indonesia’s plan to move its capital from the megacity Jakarta to Kalimantan, said state Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Apart from a boon for the tourism industry, Karim said the move could boost the state’s energy production sector, as well as Borneo’s road connectivity.
“If Indonesia’s plan to relocate its capital to a new location becomes a reality, it will benefit Sarawak and Sabah since we are Kalimantan’s neighbours.
“A country needs power (electricity supply) to develop a city, an area that Sarawak can leverage on.
“If there is excess energy produced by the Bakun hydroelectric dam in Belaga, the state government can always sell it to Indonesia.
“We would love to see other kinds of connectivity, be it by road or air to Kalimantan. The spin-off from there will be tremendous.”
It was reported that Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently reaffirmed the plan to move the country’s capital from the traffic-clogged Jakarta to Kalimantan. Widodo recently tweeted that the new capital could be located in central, east or south of Kalimantan.
In an interview with the New
Straits Times recently, Works Minister Baru Bian, who is from Sarawak, said the ministry was mulling a Trans-Borneo Highway project if the relocation plan was confirmed.
The Trans-Borneo Highway, said Bian, would provide better road connection between Malaysia, via Sarawak and Sabah, and Brunei and Kalimantan.
Karim, however, declined to comment, adding that he would wait for Indonesia’s official announcement on the matter.
“It (the plan by Indonesia) is a visionary idea. It is good for us to be prepared. It is like a soft market. Ideas like this will be a positive move for related industries.”
Earlier, he revealed a collaborative effort between the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Laduni Services Sdn Bhd together with AirAsia to boost the state’s tourism profile.
Under the collaboration, the overhead cabin compartments of five AirAsia planes will be adorned with visuals depicting tourism spots in Sarawak.
Present were STB chairman Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz and chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor, Laduni Services managing director Syed Anuar Syed Ahmad, as well as AirAsia’s Board of Directors non-independent non-executive director Datuk Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar.