Azlan Othman

A stop order on buses coming from Brunei and Sarawak at Entikong checkpoint in Pontianak, Indonesia was issued.

The Indonesian West Kalimantan provincial government has closed its border post at Entikong effective from last Monday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the same day as the 14-day movement control order was implemented in Sarawak.

Tribun Pontianak, which reported this, quoted the province’s Head of Transportation Department Manto Saidi as saying West Kalimantan Governor H Sutarmidji issued the stop order.

Manto told the daily that the department’s personnel have been stationed in Entikong to assist with the implementation of this directive.

“Starting this morning, not a single bus or private vehicles from those two countries will be allowed to go through Entikong,” he said.

Manto also said the Entikong border post now only allows returning Indonesians while shutting its door to foreign nationals. He added only foreign nationals exiting Indonesia are allowed to leave Entikong.

Meanwhile, Sutarmidji was recently quoted as saying that he wanted express buses plying the Kuching–Pontianak route or from other destinations in Sarawak and Brunei to temporarily stop operations following the COVID-19 outbreak.

These express buses have to go through Tebedu CIQ post in Sarawak and Entikong before proceeding to Pontianak. Tribun Pontianak in its report however did not mention how long the Entikong border post would be closed.