Indonesia Eyes New Cross-Border Bus Route to Malaysia's Sarawak

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and Sarawak, Malaysia, have agreed to open a new cross-border bus route in a bid to improve connectivity.

The agreement was emphasized during a courtesy call by the Indonesian Consul General in Kuching, Abdullah Zulkifli, to Sarawak's Minister of Transportation, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, in Sarawak, Malaysia, on Monday, as reported by the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Kuching.

The border between West Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Sarawak (Malaysia) currently has the highest cross-border travel volume in all of Indonesia's land border areas.

As a concrete step to expand the transportation network, both parties agreed to improve land connectivity by opening a new cross-border public bus route between Kuching and Putussibau.

This strategic route is planned to operate through the Lubok Antu (Sarawak) and Nanga Badau (West Kalimantan) Border Gate.

During the courtesy visit, which aimed to discuss strengthening connectivity and safety in cross-border transportation between Indonesia and Sarawak, the Indonesian Consul General expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the rapidly improving connectivity, both by land and air.

On that occasion, the Sarawak Minister of Transportation expressed his full commitment to continue collaborating with Indonesia to ensure safety and security standards on both sides.

Regarding the comfort of road users, it was agreed that if there are any issues that disrupt comfort or require prompt action on the ground, the public can report them directly to the Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching or the relevant authorities in Malaysia for immediate action.

This strategic meeting will be immediately followed up with a planned on-site visit by the Sarawak Minister of Transportation to the Indonesia-Sarawak border point, which serves as the new land connectivity route.

This step is expected to accelerate technical implementation to support economic integration and social interaction between the two regions.

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