Sarawak agrees to special lane for foreigners at Sungai Tujoh ICQ

MIRI, March 7 — The state government has agreed to a proposal to have a dedicated entry point for Bruneians and foreigners and another for Malaysians entering Sarawak at the Sungai Tujoh Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) checkpoint, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said today.

He said the state government has approved an allocation of RM4 million to improve the facilities at Sungai Tujoh.

“I have been informed of a congestion at Sungai Tujoh checkpoint and it appears that the traffic flow from Brunei to Sarawak has increased and also Malaysians visiting Brunei,” he told reporters after visiting Sungai Tujoh checkpoint at the Sarawak-Brunei border.

“I have been given the figures that there is a possibility of more Brunei citizens and foreign tourists coming through Brunei to Sarawak, and there are indications that Japanese tourists, using Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) and after visiting Brunei, they visit Sarawak,” he said.

“Therefore, we need to review the facilities at Sungai Tujoh and more or less, we have to review the entry points, with one dedicated to Bruneians and other foreigners, going to Sarawak boarding tourist buses, and another for Malaysians,” the premier said.

He said the agencies manning the checkpoint have asked for a review of the facilities at Sungai Tujoh to cope with the increase in the traffic flow by having a dedicated entry point for Bruneians and foreigners as a temporary measure until a permanent one is built under the 13th Malaysian Plan (13MP).

He said the state government is responsible to improve the facilities, adding that the agencies have requested funds of RM4 million from the state government.

“At the same time, I will request the Sarawak state secretary to have an administrative technical team to monitor the flow of foreigners, including Bruneians, coming to Sarawak from Brunei,” Abang Johari said.

He said administrative technical teams will also be formed to monitor the flow of foreigners at the Brunei-Limbang checkpoint and Limbang-Sabah border.

He said he was in Limbang and saw a lot of movement to Limbang from Brunei, most of them are expatriates working in Brunei.

The premier said he believes that there will be more Bruneians and foreign tourists coming to Limbang once the Limbang bridge and the Northern Coastal Highway are completed later.

“When these projects are completed, the journey from Brunei to Limbang town will take 15 minutes,” he said.