REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NUNUKAN - Malaysia closed the access for speed boat to connect Tawau in Malaysia and Sebatik Island in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, since January 2013. The closure was unilaterally without contacting Indonesian government. 

'Malaysia has ignored the agreement between Indonesian and Malaysian government through cross-border agreement in 1967," Deng Iming, a poultry entrepreneur in Sebatik Island said on Saturday.

The agreement just determines about value of transaction limits of Indonesian citizen in Malaysia no more than 600 RM. But, the agreement does not say anything about the vessel type which are allowed to cross border. 

The closure will affect the economy of the border's people as most of Nunukan residents shop for their daily needs in Malaysia. Dozens of boats have not been operated in the last four months. Iming said that Malaysian government ignored the people of Sebatik's needs and violated the bilateral agreement. Now the local people turned to Indonesian government and asked them to resolve the border issue.

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