PONTIANAK: Sarawak Minister for Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin recently undertook a one-day working visit to Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, on 12 September.

According to the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS), the visit followed his participation on board AirAsia’s inaugural direct flight from Kuching to Pontianak earlier the same morning.

“During the visit, Dato Sri Lee paid a courtesy call on the Governor of West Kalimantan, Dr H. Ria Norsan, where both sides exchanged views on enhancing cross-border cooperation.

“The discussions touched on several key areas, especially on land transport and air connectivity,” MOTS said in a statement on Monday.

On cross-border express bus services, Dato Sri Lee shared that following his recent courtesy call to the Minister for Transport in Brunei Darussalam, both sides had discussed direct bus services linking Pontianak to Brunei through Sarawak.

“The Brunei authorities welcomed this initiative, which would create greater mobility and strengthen land connectivity across Borneo,” the statement said.

In terms of regional air route collaboration, both sides explored the potential to expand direct air connectivity between West Kalimantan and Sarawak.

This may involve the participation of local Indonesian airlines as well as Sarawak’s own carrier, AirBorneo.

Additionally, future expansion of routes could include new connections such as Nusantara and Balikpapan which will further enhance regional accessibility.

MOTS said Dato Sri Lee also held a meeting with Consul (Head of Mission) at the Consulate of Malaysia in Pontianak, Azizul Zekri Abd. Rahim, where discussions focused on entry and exit traffic, road conditions, and border congestion.

“Another key issue discussed was congestion at the Pos Lintas Batas Negara (PLBN) Aruk, where the absence of operational staff during scheduled rest periods has led to long queues.

“Proposed solutions include the introduction of a shift system to ensure continuous operations during lunch breaks and the extension of border operating hours by an additional one hour.

“The Consul assured that these matters will be raised at the upcoming Sosek Malindo meeting, with Indonesia’s side also having agreed to explore the solutions during the earlier courtesy call with the Governor,” MOTS stated.

Meanwhile in the evening, Dato Sri Lee attended an engagement session with local Chinese Hakka community leaders, providing a platform for cultural and community exchanges that further reinforce the strong relationship between Sarawak and West Kalimantan.

He described the visit as both productive and timely, coinciding with the return of direct flights between Kuching and Pontianak after five years of suspension.

“This visit has reaffirmed Sarawak’s strong commitment to closer cooperation with West Kalimantan.

“From land transport and aviation to cross-border facilitation, we are building bridges that will benefit people on both sides of the border and strengthen Borneo’s regional growth,” he said. -UKASnews