SAMARINDA, the capital city of East Kalimantan province alongside the majestic Sungai Mahakam, exudes an exotic presence.
It’s probably because the city is home to the Dayak, a common name for the many indigenous tribes in Borneo, where Kaltim, short for Kalimantan Timur or East Kalimantan, is one of five provinces under Indonesia on the island.
On another end, less than two hours by road from Samarinda, is the port city, as well as the oil and gas hub of Balikpapan, which has, for decades, stood on the economic forefront of the province.
The province will soon see the sprouting of a new national capital between the two cities, replacing Jakarta by 2024, and promising a whirlwind of development on the island of Borneo.
As the historical move sends vibes for new opportunities across Indonesia, Malaysia, particularly Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei and Asean countries, the greater Kalimantan had long attracted many to its frontier.
Historically, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei share much in terms of culture, especially the indigenous communities, who trace their roots to the more than 200 tribes that are spread across Borneo.
To Malaysians, visiting Kalimantan is akin to being in Sabah or Sarawak because of the presence of its indigenous people known for their bead-embroidered attire, parang slung on their waistband and sometimes unique headgear decorated with feathers.
Venture deeper and it is easy to see how the people in Borneo have long established a socio-economic connection that will be harnessed as more attention is focused on the island in the years to come with the administrative transition.
For instance, people living on the Malaysian side know if they bring across a bag of instant Milo or the plain Marie biscuits as a gift to those on the Indonesian side, they are bound to make good friends.
Word has it the prices of the two items are lower.
By the same token, Indonesian clove cigarettes, and raw produce such as cashew nuts, prawn crackers, metal utensils or dried seafood are appreciated by Malaysian traders. The law of economics rules.
Common links exist in Sarawak and West Kalimantan, where many indigenous communities share similarities or even relationships with each other, like the Bidayuh.
Many may also find similarities in the way people speak, like those in Brunei with the Banjar from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan or the Johor-Riau Malays with those from Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
Over in North Kalimantan, Christian evangelists have a close relationship with those from the same church groups in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Lunbawang of Kalimantan, also known as Lundayeh in Sarawak or Lundayoh in Sabah, are in fact the same tribe, depending on which border they stand on.
Sabah and Sarawak measure about a quarter of the whole of Borneo; Kalimantan stretches about 540,000 sq km or slightly less than 75 per cent of the whole island.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal recently visited East Kalimantan and met its governor, Isran Noor, to explore bilateral cooperation in anticipation of the shift in the Indonesian capital.
In his address upon arrival, the chief minister said people in Borneo shared similar cultures and origins.
For this, it was important to nurture the relationship among the people, Shafie said.
Shafie was accompanied by a high-profile entourage comprising Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Jaujan Sambakong and Datuk Christina Liew, state Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Junz Wong, state Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yaacob and state government secretary Datuk Seri Hashim Paijan.
Institute of Development Studies (Sabah) acting chief executive officer Anthony Kiob said more economic opportunities could be expected for Sabah when Indonesia moved its capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan.
“Everyone, the government, the industry players, stakeholders and the ordinary people in Sabah, should be prepared for the potential impacts and consequences of this move and strategise ways to capitalise on it.
“As an economic powerhouse of the region, Indonesia has the ability to positively impact the economy, especially for its neighbours, Sabah and Sara-wak,” he said.
“The close proximity of Sabah to the new capital may lead to an economic spillover effect, just as Singapore had enjoyed the benefits of being close to Jakarta.
We need to be innovative in creating opportunities through this transition.”
When Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the decision in August, he said the move would cost 466 trillion rupiah (RM137 billion).
It includes new offices and homes for some 1.5 million civil servants, Jokowi had said, adding that it’s a major shift.
Change is coming.