Riau Islands disappointed over Malay company

Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani deems that the central government has acted unethically in relation to the presence of a Malaysian company that has set up a station for undersea telecommunication cables connecting West and East Malaysia, which crosses the Natuna regency.

Sani said on Thursday that although the central government had the authority, it should have had the integrity to notify the provincial administration about the matter.

Sani disclosed the matter when asked for his response relating to the presence of PT Sacofa Indonesia that was operating without the knowledge of the provincial administration.

“I will raise the matter with the central government and the Natuna regency administration. The central government apparently has some authority to not involve the provincial administration, but ethically, it should notify us if such an activity is taking place in our jurisdiction,” Sani said in Batam.

He added he was never informed of the matter although the company has been operating since 2002.

“I absolutely don’t know about the matter. I just learned about it from you. For us the most important thing is that the company does not pose a threat or cause any security disturbances. We will warn the central government if it leads to security threats,” said Sani.

Earlier, the Natuna regency administration expressed that it felt cheated by the presence of the Malaysian company operating there. The administration was even more surprised to learn that the province was being used as a submarine cable connection base camp connecting West and East Malaysia.

Residents in Penarik village, South Bunguran district, have long questioned the activities carried out by the company near the coast in the area. Besides being a restricted area, a number of foreigners have often been seen there.

Following up citizen reports, Natuna regency council speaker Hadi Chandra and Natuna Police deputy chief Comr. Sudarminto made a surprise visit to the facility on Jan. 18, 2012. However, they were greeted by security guards, while none of those in charge were available.

Later, Natuna Deputy Regent Imalko and a number of officials from the local police, Natuna military command and Ranai airbase, including elements from the Regional Communication Forum conducted an impromptu inspection of the company on Friday and were surprised to find a number of irregularities.

The Natuna regency administration apparently had only issued a business permit, while the activities remained unclear. After listening to workers at the facility, the administration learned that it was a center for installing undersea telecommunication cables stretching from Mersing, Johor, in West Malaysia to Kuching, Sarawak, in East Malaysia, passing through Ranai and Tarempa in Natuna.

During the visit, Imalko and his entourage found a luxurious room filled with hi-tech devices, including electronic panels and telephone cables. “We could not yet explain in detail to the public as of now because the company’s status and activities remain unclear,” said Imalko.

The chief of the Wirapratama Military Command overseeing Riau Islands, Col. Adi Sudaryanto, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that based on the inspection by Imalko and his entourage, a number of findings remained suspicious.

“The company’s security system is very tight. We found a room that acts as an undersea cable control center. There were only security guards there, while the people in charge came only periodically,” said Adi.

He added the Natuna regency administration would follow up its findings by holding a meeting with the company’s management to inquire about its activities.

“We will further delve into the matter to find out whether or not the company’s activities could threaten state security,” said Adi.

According to Adi, the facility consists of a guard room, which serves as office and living quarters, storage room, battery room, equipment room, generator room and diesel tank room.