He said dual carriageways to the border would increase the influx of tourists from Indonesia and in turn spur the local economy.

“This matter was brought up at a recent federal Cabinet meeting to urge the government to improve the roads heading to the Malaysia-Indonesia border, like in Tebedu and Biawak, over the next two to three years,” he said.

Wan Junaidi, who is also federal law minister, was met by reporters at the Batang Kayan Regatta on the banks of Sungai Lundu in Lundu, Sarawak, today.

Sabah deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin has also been calling for better roads to connect to Nusantara.

President Joko Widodo recently set in motion the plan to move the nation’s capital from Jakarta on the island of Java to Sepaku, which will eventually seat most of Indonesia’s government.

Using a newly upgraded road that bypasses some conservation forests, Sepaku can be reached in just two hours from Balikpapan, a prosperous city with shopping malls, sleek cafes and new apartment towers.