Home Ministry finalising new Malaysia-Indonesia border crossing, says Saifuddin

• "Tentatively, Indonesian President Jokowi’s official visit to Malaysia this year will include the signing of the agreement.”

TUMPAT (Feb 20): The Home Ministry is currently engaged in finalising the new border crossing between Malaysia and Indonesia, following the development of Indonesia’s new capital city of Nusantara in Kalimantan.

Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the new border crossing is among the matters being discussed by both countries under the cross-border agreement (CBA).

"Our prime minister has been to Indonesia. We will have a new border crossing with Nusantara. 

"The Home Ministry will now be involved in finalising the CBA that we hope will be settled soon,” he told reporters after inspecting the Pengkalan Kubor Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex here on Saturday (Feb 18).

During the visit, he took the opportunity to view the border controls along Sungai Golok that acts as the country’s border with neighbouring Thailand.

Saifuddin shared that three components will be finalised for the new border crossing.

"We will identify the ‘point-to-point’ crossing on our side and the Indonesian’s side, how wide an area we will cover under the agreement, and the categories of residents [near the border crossing].

"In terms of the scheduling, tentatively, Indonesian President Jokowi’s (Joko Widodo) official visit to Malaysia this year will include the signing of the agreement,” he added.