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Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will check the truth of reports about the existence of a Malaysian helipad near the two countries` common border, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said.

"We will check again whether the Malaysian helipad is a civilian or a military facility," Sudarsono said here on Thursday.

The Indonesian government will examine the facility based on understandings reached in the Malaysia-Indonesia General Border Committee (Malindo - GBC), the minister said.

"We will see whether there is a provision in the GBC which regulates that no building should be erected within a distance of two kilometers from the border of the two countries," he said.

He said the checking would be done together with other agencies such as the directorate general of development of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the immigration service.

On a separate occasion, Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda said the construction of a helipad near the border by Malaysia was part of an agreement between the two countries.

In the framework of security maintenance in border areas, the two countries agreed to construct seven helipads along the borders, he said.

"On Indonesia`s side, the National Survey Coordination Board is to conduct surveys in the border areas. It is just possible that the helipad in question is part of the agreed seven helipads," the foreign minister said.

He said the borders were very long and wide so that it was impossible to carry out patrols without using helicopters.

"So, as a preliminary information, the construction of the helipad is based on the knowledge of the two sides. We hope that it will not be exaggerated like other security issues," the minister said.

A joint team of the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Legal and Human Rights Affairs and the Headquarters of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) during a security operation in the border areas between Indonesia and Malaysia recently found a Malaysian helicopter pad built about seven kilometers from the border.

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