MIRI – There are still people willing to take great risks to “balik kampung” for Gawai Dayak despite the very serious Covid-19 infections spreading all over Sarawak and the full-scale movement control order (MCO) being enforced statewide starting today.
Videos and pictures of big crowds of native Sarawakians converging at a congested wharf in a central region of the state were being circulated since this morning.
The location has since been identified as the waterfront of Kapit town, located along the Rejang River, and the incident is understood to have happened yesterday.
Apparently, express-boats operators have been operating at full capacity despite the ongoing pandemic. In fact, the virus is spreading in Kapit district and the rest of Sarawak.
Kapit, along with Belaga and Baram, is among the largest districts to have native-majority populations.
Belaga social activist Harry Wing told The Vibes that many were caught off-guard by the sudden announcement of a total MCO, which could have contributed to people desperately scrambling to their rural hometowns.
“The announcement of the total MCO by the state Disaster Management Committee (DMC) was made rather suddenly (two days ago),” he said.
“This has caused certain people in towns to rush to get home to their longhouses.
“There are also many Dayak working in urban towns like Sibu and Miri who had already made earlier bookings on express-boats to go home, not knowing that the DMC would suddenly announce the full MCO,” Wing said.
He said that the Gawai Dayak rush is often frantic in nature, and this is dangerous during a pandemic like Covid-19.
The activist said the latest videos and pictures of the Gawai rush are indeed from Kapit wharf. “There must be tighter control of the crowds to prevent even more infections from spreading.
“Congestion like this is very dangerous, especially in public places and longhouses,” he said.
In announcing its latest standard operating procedures on Gawai, the DMC told all longhouse chiefs that they are responsible for ensuring that the Gawai celebrations do not escalate beyond control.
They and their village security committees must ensure all families celebrate indoors in their respective living quarters with full adherence to physical distancing and wearing of facemasks.
The Gawai Dayak festival starts on June 1.
Traditionally, it is a month-long festival to give thanks for a good paddy harvest and to prepare for the coming planting season.
There are some one million Dayaks in Sarawak who will be observing the festival. – The Vibes – May 29, 2021
