‘Leopard tanks needed to secure Kalimantan borders’

BANJARBARU, SOUTH KALIMANTAN

LEOPARD main battle tanks are desperately needed to safeguard border areas in Kalimantan, a military commander has said.

Mulawarman Military Comman-der Maj Gen Dicky Wainal Usman, said in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday, that border areas in Kalimantan were very vulnerable, particularly to security-related issues, because the Indonesian part of Borneo Island had several points that shared borders with neighboring countries — Malaysia and Singapore.

“Illegal logging, illegal mining and illegal fishing remain major problems along the border areas. Outsiders seem to be obsessed with taking every available resource along our border areas. With the Leopard tanks, enemies would have to consider it again and again before doing so,” said Dicky in a journalist visit at the 623 Bhakti Wira Utama Infantry Battalion headquarters in Sungai Ulin, Banjarbaru, as quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

He said the presence of the Leopard tanks would strengthen the primary weapons defense systemowned by the Mulawarman Mili-tary District Command (Kodam).

He said the district command now had only reconnaissance vehicles or light tanks such as the Scorpion and AMX. “At least, one company (eight units) of Leopard tanks could hopefully be deployed in Kalimantan,” said Dicky.

He said the Kodam Mulawar-man would soon receive a unit of Multi Launcher Rocket System (MLRS). An Army aviation squa-dron, supported by four combat helicopters and four transportation helicopters, had been established as well.

Dicky said that the Indonesian Military’s Mulawarman command had also prepared one cavalry battalion. Previously, the Military command had only a cavalry detachment.

The Kodam Mulawarman has increased the number of Indone-sia-Malaysia joint posts to safeguard the border areas. “The posts are needed to narrow efforts to remove poles placed to determine the border between the two countries and to drive away illegal loggers who mostly come from Malaysia.”

The Jakarta Post/ANN