KUALA LUMPUR: There is a potential for Malaysia to benefit from the relocation of the Indonesian capital to East Kalimantan, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya (pix) said that while there would be challenges and implications, the benefits, particularly to Sabah and Sarawak that are also in Borneo, would outweigh the drawbacks.
“The relocation will boost the economy of Borneo, and Sabah and Sarawak are set to enjoy the spillover benefits from the border trade with Kalimantan,” he said.
“The tourism sector in Sabah and Sarawak will also improve. In addition, it is expected to open new opportunities for economic cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said.
Marzuki was responding to a question from Chan Foong Hin (PH-Kota Kinabalu) on the government’s preparation in facing the various challenges and new opportunities from the proposed relocation of the Indonesian capital.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had, on Aug 26, announced that the location of the country’s capital would be shifted from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, as it looks to shift its political heart away from the current congested megalopolis.
Marzuki said he was confident the relocation would not affect the bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia.
“As a very close neighbour, Malaysia is ever ready to share our expertise with Indonesia, based on our previous experience in relocating our centre of administration from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya,” he said.
On the security threat that the relocation could possibly pose, Marzuki said the two sides would meet consistently to discuss issues, including that related to the boundary between the two countries.
“All these are still being discussed, and there are no conclusive decisions yet on the aspect of security and boundary. We will continue discussions to ensure there are no social problems arising from this,” he said.
This was in response to a question from Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (BN-Santubong) who wanted to know whether more Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes and border walls would be built to address trans-boundary issues.
