KUCHING (April 3): People must work together and find the right combination of strategies to address various issues related to land use and sustainability, said Dr Goh Chun Sheng.
The Harvard University Asia Centre researcher, whose focus is on sustainable development in Malaysian and Indonesian
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Borderland is a land of complexity. Before the establishment and expansion of the British North Borneo Company in the late 19th century, the Tawau District was under the influence of sultanates in the region, i.e., Brunei, Sulu, and Bulungan in Kalimantan. In a map published by the British North Borneo Company in 1888, the territory under its control covered the entire Sebatik Island as well as Nunukan Island. The land borders were later fine-tuned several times after the Anglo-Dutch treaty was signed in 1891, with Sebatik Island politically dissected into two parts and Nunukan Island transferred to Kalimantan. This had changed the fate of the local people for generations, as the territorial arrangement was subsequently adopted by Malaysia and Indonesia after gaining independence from the colonists. Sebatik Island was one of the crucial battlefields during Konfrontasi. On 28th June 1965, the Indonesian force entered the eastern part of the island and attempted to launch an attack on the Royal Malay Regiment’s camp in Tawau. However, the operation was not successful due to the resistance on the Malaysian side. An Australian frigate Yarra was also called upon to bombard the aggressors. The older generation in Sebatik Island still could recall the sound of gunfire and cannon fire. Interestingly, in the following decades, no fence, walls, or immigration office were ever built to demarcate the border on the island except some concrete piles were placed as indications
Recently, the borderland issue has been gaining attention due to the arguments surrounding the construction of the CIQ complex in Serudong, Kalabakan district. In March 2022, the Federal Finance Ministry decided to postpone the RM215 million project, citing “insufficient funding” as the main reason. The postponement has immediately attracted a storm of protest from the state government