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t is not easy for the villagers of Sungai Bening, one of five villages in Sajingan Besar district, Sambas regency in West Kalimantan, to earn a living on the borders of Indonesia and the East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

The residents of the remote village, which measures more than 18,000 square kilometers and is inhabited by just 1,007 people, or 154 families, have to depend on the neighboring country to make a living.

Sungai Bening village chief Yoseph Epensius said his village was located a little more than 10 kilometers from Kueh village in Sematan district, Sarawak. Many jungle trails serve as access for local residents to engage in trade with Malaysian residents.

'Our residents take durian, rubber and wild boar to Sarawak to sell. They have family ties with residents in Kueh village, with only the demarcation line separating them,' Yoseph told The Jakarta Post recently.

Sungai Bening residents prefer to sell their produce in Malaysia due to its proximity as the neighboring country is closer than the district capital of Sajingan Besar, which reaching requires passing through a 30-km stretch of muddy road to reach. The regency capital is 85 km away.

Farmers started facing problems when part of their village was designated as a natural tourism park (TWA), so they could not freely cultivate their land. That the TWA area covers most settlements and farmland exacerbates the matter. Sungai Bening village is home to a number of wild orchid species, tropical pitcher plants and the kelempiau (grey gibbon) and pangolin.

The four other villages in Sajingan Besar are Sebunga, Kaliau, Senatap and Sentaban. Kaliau village secretary Jepleng said residents had been demanding that decent roads be built since 2005.

'The road from the district to the regency capital is damaged. We have demanded that the administration repair the road, but nothing has been done,' said Jepleng.

Sentaban village chief Don Bosco said residents had been threaten with imprisonment when trying to protect their land against industrial plantation expansion, with claims that they were disrupting investment.

'We initially filed a complaint, but it was said that we were depriving the company. Through mediation, the case was closed as both sides withdrew their complaints,' said Bosco.

In the past year, the Swadaya Dian Khatulistiwa Foundation (YSDK) has been providing advocacy to the five villages by drawing up a Village Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). YSDK head Marcel Lodo said the issues were summarized in a five-year planning document.

The program was carried out by providing joint advocacy with a number of stakeholders, such as the West Kalimantan Border and Disadvantaged Regions Agency (BPPDT) and donor institutions. The document will eventually be accessible to various parties.

The four other villages in Sajingan Besar are Sebunga, Kaliau, Senatap and Sentaban. Kaliau village secretary Jepleng said residents had been demanding that decent roads be built since 2005.

Border crossing inspection posts (PPLB) have been set up in Entikong (Sanggau), Badau (Kapuas Hulu) and Aruk (Sambas) as official gateways for people and goods.

The Aruk PPLB, which is on the border with Biawak in Sarawak, was inaugurated in January 2011. Sambas city is located 85 km from Sajingan village, the capital of Sanjingan Besar district, and Aruk is located 3 km away, so the total length of the road is 88 km. The first 85 km is an unpaved stretch full of potholes while the last 3 km is paved.

West Kalimantan BPPDT head Manto Saidi told the Post recently that the border could be easily crossed for traditional trade activities.

'The condition of the border post is maintained in order to empower local residents to engage in business. The Aruk PPLB is a crossing for traditional traders from both countries,' said Manto.

The Aruk PPLB is used by local entrepreneurs to transport fruit, rubber, processed food and drinks. The duty-free policy very much protects traditional businessmen.

Traditional businesspeople benefit from the agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia, which was reached in 1970 and exempts traditional imports and exports from duties, thus enabling the exportation of durian, among other things, to Malaysia and the importation of sugar.

Based on a recent survey, said Manto, between 10,000 and 12,000 durian are sold daily to Malaysia at 2.5 ringgit (Rp 8,000) each, or a total value of Rp 80 million (US$6,608)per day.

Local businesspeople, nicknamed the 'ant troops', carry around 400 kilograms of sugar per motorcycle across the border daily. They buy the sugar for Rp 6,000 per kg. If 40 motorcycles carrying sugar were to pass, a total of 1.6 tons worth Rp 96 million would enter the country daily.

'Between 40 and 60 people pass through the Aruk PPLB daily [with the poor road condition]. When the road condition was good last year, 100 people crossed the border daily,' said Manto.

In comparison, the Badau PPLB, which is the biggest official gateway for crude palm oil exports, only 40 to 50 people cross the border, while the Entikong PPLB is used by at least 10 buses and 50 private cars, or around 500 people daily.