By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 14: The long-awaited upgrade of the Sungai Tujoh Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine (ICQ) complex has reached 88 per cent completion and is expected to be fully operational a week before Chinese New Year, offering long-overdue relief to thousands of commuters who regularly endure hours-long traffic congestion at one of the busiest border crossings between Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam.
Sarawak Minister for Transport and Senadin assemblyman Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said the RM4 million project, approved by the Sarawak government with the support of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, is aimed at addressing chronic congestion that has plagued the border point for years, particularly during weekends and festive seasons.
“Waiting times here have stretched between three and five hours, especially during Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, when traffic volume surges sharply,” he said during a working visit to inspect progress at ICQ Sungai Tujoh in Miri today, according to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news report.
The upgrade works include the construction of four additional traffic lanes, more immigration and customs counters, and 12 new public toilets, including facilities for persons with disabilities (OKU).
Lee said congestion at Sungai Tujoh intensifies when vehicle numbers increase, involving travellers from Brunei, Miri, Lawas, Limbang, and Sabah who transit through Brunei en route to Miri.
“This project is crucial to ensure smoother cross-border movement,” he said, adding that he has instructed the Public Works Department (JKR) to step up monitoring to ensure the project stays on track, while contractors have been urged to complete all works before the festive period.
The project was initially scheduled for completion in December last year but was granted an extension following minor design adjustments.
Once completed, traffic flow will be segregated by vehicle type, with Malaysia-registered and Brunei-registered vehicles using separate lanes and counters. Four new counters will be dedicated exclusively to Malaysian vehicles to speed up clearance.
Lee also proposed increasing immigration and customs manpower to ensure all additional counters can operate at full capacity, particularly during peak travel periods.
While welcoming the near-completion of the upgrade, he stressed that it remains a short-term solution, noting that a comprehensive redevelopment of ICQ Sungai Tujoh will be proposed to the federal government under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).
For the long term, Lee said the border complex should adopt modern technologies such as electronic clearance systems, facial recognition or vehicle-based identification to expedite entry and exit procedures, in line with practices at other international border crossings. — DayakDaily
