Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia will only reopen its border post into Indonesia's Kalimantan province once the ethnic violence has calmed down on the Indonesian side, officials said Wednesday. "We are still monitoring the situation in Kalimantan.

We will only open up the roads once the situation is declared safe by the Indonesian authorities," the National Security Council in Sarawak state said in a statement. Violence in West Kalimantan province prompted Malaysia to close the Tebedu border crossing post Sunday to ensure the safety of travellers from Sarawak's capital of Kuching to Potianak in Kalimantan.

The Tebudu crossing, about 90 kilometres from Kuching, was opened five years ago and is the major entry point between Sarawak and Kalimantan. There are 11 other border posts in Sarawak state on Borneo. The closure came amid reports of disturbances in West Kalimantan after major trouble in January when a mob of some 5,000 Dayak tribesmen burned and looted scores of homes and stores.

The council said security at the Tebudu post has also been beefed up as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of immigration officers at the post. Malaysians stranded in Pontianak and some 200 Indonesians stranded in Sarawak would be flown home on special flights by Malaysia Airlines, it added.

Goverment sources told AFP they had not received much information from the Indonesian authorities on the situation in West Kalimantan. Indonesia's foreign minister Ali Alatas said Wednesday that Jakarta hoped Malaysia's closure would be quickly lifted. Alatas said the situation in the troubled province had improved as Jakarta has sent troops to restore order. jsm/en/tw