I’ve been invited to visit “Lubuk Antu” or the Devil’s Cesspool this weekend, where I will join a group of visitors to make a border crossing into the remote Batang Kanyau region of West Kalimantan (Kalbar).
Almost 30 years ago, the only way to get to the administrative centre of Putussibau was a three-day trip over 1,200km of land and river.
But for Sarawakian visitors using the jungle route, it was an eight-hour journey.
If I do return to Batang Kanyau, it will be through the newly-developed township of Nanga Badau – thanks to the policy of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi to open up new border towns – which now has an official checkpoint.
It also won’t be the first time I’ve crossed over the Indonesian border, but it will be interesting to see how our neighbour is opening up more modern CIQs – Customs, Immigration and Quarantine to enable inhabitants from both countries to visit each other legally.
I’m probably one of the few, if not the only Sarawakian, to have crossed over to 1,000km Kalimantan border more than 50 times over the last 30 years using both official and illegal jungle routes.
During my time when there were no official border crossings, all my forages were by “jalan tikus”, illegal routes which translated into English means “rat holes”.
One of my first border crossings was at the Tebedu-Entikong CIQ – the first official land route from Kuching to Pontianak – which leads to all the six “propinsi” (provinces) of Kalimantan which four times the size of Sarawak and Sabah combined.
Since then I have crossed over this immigration check-point officially and illegally at least 14 times; often to visit Indonesian teacher Pak Benson’s pub at Entikong.
Indonesia’s second official crossing is at the Biawak-Aruk Sajungan CIQ in Sematan
district.
A decade ago I attended the official opening of the border checkpoint at which was the Governor of Kalbar Drs Cornelis officiated.
One of my first “jalan tikus” crossings was through Temajuk, a Malay village in West Kalimantan, adjacent to the village of Telok Melano in Sematan district.
My second illegal crossing was at Serikin near Bau which is now partially opened to visitors from Indonesia. Coincidentally 20 years ago, I led Sarawak’s Commissioner of Police Datuk Yusof Jaafar and his bodyguards across the border while writing a story on smuggling syndicates.
On one of my solo trips by “Ojek” (Indonesian motor-cycle) at Serikin, I attended a “Naik Dangau” festival (the Indonesian Dayak version of Gawai) at Sebujit in Jagoi Babang and Seluas, home of Dayak Bidayuh and Dayak Aher.
In the earlier years before they stationed “Tentera Nasional Indonesia (TNI) army base at the border, I even ventured as far as Bengkayang.
Again I have explored the region beyond that which leads to the Indonesia-Chinese coastal town of Singkawang that heads westwards to Pontianak and eastwards to Sambas, Paloh and Telok Melano.
There are more illegal crossings at Stass and Gumbang in the Bau district and I’ve ventured out to both borders.
Further up to Serian district and beyond Tebedu are the Padawan hills where the Bidayuh make daily crossings at Sapit and Kiding. I’ve been across that border by foot only once.
Over the last 25 years I’ve crossed over from Ba’Kelalan to North Kalimantan (Kaltara) at least a dozen times – half of which was by an illegal footpath which the Swiss environmentalist Bruno Manser used.
Since the TNI set up its base just before the township of Long Bawan 10 years ago, I have used the official route using my Malaysian identity card.
A year ago I travelled by air 3,000km from Kuching to Long Ampung in East Kalimantan before taking the land route to Apo Kayan, at the border with Sarawak’s Belaga district.
This famous jungle route from Long Nawang to Kapit has been used for centuries by the Kenyah and Kayan of Apo Kayan as they ventured into Sarawak where many settled.
I went as far as the proposed Kapit-Long Nawang border check-point, but ventured no further. Apparently, another major Indonesian official border check point will be established here within a few years.
Of course, the most interesting border crossing is at Lubuk Batu – a trip I first made by motorcycle 26 years ago with a VIP – the deputy chairman of the “Majlis Adat Istidat Sarawak” culture and tradition organisation Nicholas Bawin, an Iban from Engkari in Lubuk Antu.
Together with a young Iban friend Lumong Radin from Bertik in Batang Ai, our journey was by the “Ojek” motorcycle taxi through the Indonesian border town of Nanga Badau.
Bawin and I shared an “Ojek” with only one handbrake. Bawin sat in the middle, I sat in between him and the rider shared the leg rests with us.
We had to carry our motorcycle onto a “sampan” to cross at least two rivers but when we reached our destination it was worth the effort.
Hopefully, the Batang Kanyau region is not too developed.
I look forward to pristine forests and clean river which was once teeming with “ikan semah”, a fresh water species which is only found in the rural outback.
We may stay in the jungle for a night or two – something I have experienced on some of my cross border trips.
Of course, I will not forget to bring my mosquito net because malaria is still rife in certain parts of Indonesia; many Indonesians live with the disease for life.
I must also warn the town folk travelling into the wild to bring their insect repellent and medical kits as well because the last time I was there I almost stepped on a cobra.
Leeches are okay – just bring some tobacco and salt.
Be careful not to walk in swampy or water-logged areas when you are trudging in the jungle because it could be infected with leptospirosis caused by rat urine.
Also be careful what you drink, it would have unfriendly bacteria or microbes; a pastor friend of mine once came down with typhus.
Bon Voyage!
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
