MIRI, Sept 2: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) holds that Sarawak should negotiate with the federal government on the revival of Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts.
Its Secretary General Datuk Sebastian Ting fully supported the call to re-introduce these local security forces which was disbanded for decades.
“As it is, defence is a federal matter, but it should certainly not prevent Sarawak government from pursuing to negotiate with Federal Government to re-introduce the Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts.
“This will definitely be in the best interest of Sarawak as we all love our home Sarawak and it is the duty and responsibility of all Sarawakians, including all YBs Members of Parliament and all YBS Sarawak Assemblymen to protect our home, Sarawak,” said Ting in a statement today.
He said currently, the border control appears to be weak because of Sarawak’s long boundary with Indonesia.
“As the result, it leads to many ‘jalan tikus’ for people to come into Sarawak, most of the times, illegally,” said Ting, who was newly appointed as Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
He added that the re-introduction of Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts would help to supplement the existing border control to prevent those with ill intentions to move into Sarawak freely and may pose to be security threats to Sarawak.
“Of course, the Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts must be from Sarawak, our very own Sarawakians.
“Our people know the land a lot better than anyone else. In fact, our Iban trackers were one of the best in the region and on many occasions, the British government relied on them during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 till 1960.
“We used to have Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts but upon the formation of Malaysia in 1963, with the signing of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, they were absorbed into Royal Ranger Regiment, a new Malaysian Army as defense fall under Federal matter.
“We do not know the thoughts of our leaders back then.
“They might have thought that it was acceptable to unite our Rangers with Malaysian Army and trusted Federal to look after our boundary well. Â But after 56 years, our border security is considered lacking and unsafe environment especially in towns near the border such as Serikin,” he said.
He therefore concluded that there is an urgent need to consider the re introduction of Sarawak Rangers and Border Scouts more than ever to protect Sarawak’s vast boundary.— DayakDaily
