M

ulawarman Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Johny L Tobing is seeking reinforcements to guard the border with the Malaysian state of Sabah.

“Based on our evaluation, we need 10 new posts in Malinau regency on the border with Sabah,” said Tobing in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Friday.

With at least 20 additional personnel at each post, 200 more soldiers would be needed to man the new border posts. The proposal has been conveyed to the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander-in-chief.

Tobing added that the new posts, like all TNI posts on the border, would be a sign of state readiness. He claimed the personnel and posts would provide a sense of security for the people living in the border areas.

“Though the main task of the TNI at the border is to secure the delineated borders, we won’t be silent on the existing issues in the regions,” said Tobing.

Malinau regency is dominated by dense forests and is largely unexplored. Nearly 80 percent of its territory is in the Kayan Mentarang National Park, which is also part of the Heart of Borneo conservation area.