KENINGAU: The Sabah Immigration Department is urging the community here to apply for the Malaysia-Indonesia Border Crossing Pass.
As Indonesia is moving its capital to East Kalimantan, Sabah Immigration Department director S.H. Sitti Saleha Habib Yusof said the document would allow locals to traverse the border without getting detained by the Indonesian authorities.
At RM20, she said pass carriers would no longer need to apply or have an international passport to go to Labang, Lumbis and Mensalong in Indonesia.
"The pass is only valid for use within a radius of 30km from the Indonesian border to the Keningau district.
"Malaysians who want to cross into Indonesia must have a PMS and that is a document to replace the International passport.
"For Indonesians who want to deal in Keningau, they must have a crossing pass (Pas Lintas Batas),"she said in a statement after a programme at Kampung Pagalungan here yesterday.
She added that the community in Pagalungan often travelled across borders to visit their family members.
"We expect the Labang and Bantul, Indonesia routes to be the main routes if the Indonesian capital starts operating.
"Pagalungan will be an active area in terms of international border movement," she said, adding the gazetted international entrance control posts were at Pegalungan here an Long Pasia in Sipitang.
Starting May 1, the Pagalungan Immigration control post would function to oversee transborder movements and issuance of pass.