Having just completed a three-day drive on the Pan-Borneo Highway from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching, I can say that the Sarawak section of the highway is going to be legendary.
It could be the most beautiful highway in Borneo, depending on how the ancillary facilities such as rest-stops and junctions are developed in the future.
These facilities will be developed by the state government, which has rights over land acquisition and conversion.
As a Sarawakian commented, “Let the federal government build the highway as best as possible and we don’t interfere because its works ministry has limited authority over land acquisition.
“Once the Sarawak government takes over, we can build all the missing bits because the state government has the rights over land matters that the federal government doesn’t have.”
The observer cited the example of Lubok Antu on the Indonesian border, which has a vibrant economy. “Yet the signboard for this strategic junction is so diminutive that a non-local would completely miss it. And the P-turn for this junction if you’re on the wrong side of the highway is about 5km away. We understand that this is because of a lack of land to build.”
While conceding that the population is very sparse, observers suggest that the authorities can help create wealth for those residents of longhouses now linked to the highway.
Although the highway is otherwise mostly devoid of signs of human habitation, there are many signboards which indicate the presence of longhouses, for example “Rh Robert” where Rh means Rumah, or Robert Longhouse.
This means that there’s a community that can benefit from the highway traffic if rest-stops are built with covered areas where enterprising members of longhouse communities can set up kiosks to sell drinks, snacks and even handicraft.
There’s also a huge demand for lay-bys and rest service areas with toilets and food and beverage outlets. Currently there are only three proper rest stops on the highway, including the Jelukong rest-stop which has a brilliant tropicalised sanitation facility but is totally vacant of food vendors.
That’s why the sites of P-turns (a safer form of U-turns) are becoming open-air male urinals and a dumping ground for rubbish.
The problem is that the highway is not provided with a wide emergency lane, such as the one on the North-South Highway in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Sarawak section of the Pan-Borneo Highway provides just a narrow strip of land fenced off by Armco barrier; it’s dangerous for motorists to park here.
Ironically, motorists turn off into the P-turn filter lane, where there’s adequate space to stop: they ease themselves as discreetly as possible, have some food, throw rubbish on the ground, and drive off.
The Pan Borneo Highway connects Sabah and Sarawak and spans approximately 2,000km from the northern tip of Sabah and runs through various landscapes down to the southern tip of Sarawak.
Unfortunately, the Sabah section is still a work in progress, with only the 55km stretch from Papar to Beaufort qualifying as a highway with dual carriageway and central traffic divider.
The bigger part of Borneo lies in Indonesian Kalimantan. Highways have been built at a quick pace there under the government of President Joko Widodo.
The Trans Kalimantan Highway is a major highway network running from the Indonesian-Malaysian border through central Kalimantan to south Kalimantan. It covers a vast distance and plays a crucial role in linking remote areas with urban centres, enhancing trade and mobility.
The Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road is the first toll road in East Kalimantan connecting what are arguably the most historic towns in Borneo: Samarinda, the oldest port in Borneo, and Balikpapan, the richest and most developed city.
The Palangka Raya-Banjarmasin road connects Palangka Raya, the capital of Central Kalimantan, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan. It is an essential corridor for the movement of goods and people between these two significant cities.
The Samarinda-Balikpapan Road connects the port city of Balikpapan with Samarinda and serves as a vital link for trade and transportation in the region.
Yamin Vong can be reached at his Facebook page, yamin.com.my.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
