KUCHING, 8 Oct 2009: The Royal Malaysia Police have stepped up security at all entry points from West Kalimantan to Sarawak as a precaution following threats from an Indonesian extremist group to attack Malaysia today.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohmad Salleh said patrols by the General Operations Force had been doubled starting today, especially at the Tebedu and Serikin border posts and several illegal trails at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.
“So far, we have not received any report of moves by the group known as Bendera to enter Sarawak,” he told reporters after the Sarawak police contingents’s monthly assembly and Aidilfitri open house at its headquarters here.
Mohmad said police would also set up roadblocks at major roads leading in and out of the state besides monitoring the industrial and plantation areas where many Indonesians were employed.
He said a police team from the Criminal Investigation Department had surveyed the areas, and so far, nothing unusual had happened.
He also said there had been no reports of Malaysians intending to go to Kalimantan being threatened, or those there being harassed.
Malaysian Consul in Pontianak M.Zairi M.Basri, when contacted, said the situation in Pontianak was calm and there were no signs of anti-Malaysia activities.
He said based on surveillance yesterday at the Pontianak main bus terminal, which provides transportation service from Pontianak to Kuching, nothing unusual happened.
“The situation here is peaceful and there are no unsual activities involving Bendera’s campaign, although we are given to understand that Bendera has its members here,” said Zairi.
“There’s no problem here. We will hold a Malaysian Hari Raya [Aidilfitri] open house in Pontianak this weekend and we have invited the governor of West Kalimantan because Malaysia-Indonesia relations are very good,” he said.
There are about 200 Malaysians in Pontianak, comprising workers and businesspersons who commute between Pontianak and Malaysia. — Bernama
