by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 23: Sarawak’s new Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Naval Region 4 Headquarters (MAWILLA 4) will be built at Muara Tebas.
According to a news report by TVS, Defence Force Chief General Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar said the new base, initially proposed for Bintulu, will now be constructed in Muara Tebas, citing the availability of conducive infrastructure facilities and favourable sea conditions as key factors behind the decision to relocate the base to Kuching.
He added that this decision came after careful consideration and discussions with the Sarawak government.
“We have discussed with the Sarawak government, and at the initial stage, both parties have agreed to relocate to Muara Tebas due to many factors.
“The relocation has also been confirmed by the Sarawak government and the base will be built in Muara Tebas, not in Bintulu,” he was quoted as saying after a working visit to the Tactical Headquarters in Balai Ringin today.
Mohd Nizam added that the new base in Kuching is said to have the same modern facilities as those at the TLDM base in Teluk Sepanggar, Sabah.
“It will be one of the modern bases on the Sarawak side and will have facilities similar to the base in Teluk Sepanggar due to the different number of personnel and the different amount of equipment compared to the main base in Lumut, Perak,” he said.
Meanwhile, regarding border security, according to a report by Bernama, he stated they are assessing the need to construct additional control posts between the border of Malaysia and Indonesia.
He pointed out that the number of control posts between Malaysia and Indonesia should be balanced, and an assessment should be conducted to establish joint posts to strengthen border security further.
“Currently, there are five joint Malaysia-Indonesia posts, and we will also assess the need to enhance the facilities at Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine (ICQ) complexes along the border.
“If Indonesia has an ICQ complex at their border, we must also ensure that we have one on our side for a balanced exit and entry control,” he was quoted as saying.
Mohd Nizam said that a working visit is expected to be conducted in May, and this would involve the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry, Customs, and Immigration departments to discuss the best approach for a more integrated border control strategy. – DayakDaily
