If you are in my age group, you might have watched a scene in the movie ‘A Walk To Remember’ where the hero helps the heroine to stand in two places at once — one foot in Virginia and the other in North Carolina.
Ok, kantoi watch chick flick.
Well, the point is, there’s actually a house that is built on the border of two countries. Specifically, the kitchen is located in Malaysia, and the living room is in Indonesia. The picture of the house in Sungai Haji Kuning, Sebatik Island, was shared by Osman Saide.
According to Osman, the interior of the house is also designed based on which country the area is in. Not only the house, but the whole island is actually divided into two countries. He wrote,
“Sometimes I get confused whether I am in Malaysia or Indonesia. The front of the house is painted in red and white to symbolise the Indonesia flag while the Jalur Gemilang is raised proudly at the back (the Malaysian side).”
About 25,000 Malaysians and 80,000 Indonesians make up the total population of the entire island, and there are no border guards, no immigration office, no customs house, no barbed-wire fences or even walls. The only signs of a border are some piles of concrete which are located every kilometre or so.
Read Osman’s full post here:
Rumah Dua NegaraHari ini berpeluang berkunjung ke sebuah rumah yang dibina di atas tanah milik 2 negara iaitu Malaysia…
Posted by Osman Saide on Thursday, August 15, 2019
Whether you want to recreate the scene from ‘A Walk To Remember’ or just to learn more about the unique political and geographical identity of the area, you should definitely visit this house spanning two nations if you’re into travelling to unique sites locally (and abroad).
Also read: Indonesia Is Moving Its Capital City to Kalimantan as Jakarta Is Sinking Soon