MIRI – “Barriers” are being set up in Bintulu longhouses to prevent overcrowding, which could trigger more Covid-19 clusters in the red zone.
Bintulu MP and Progressive Democratic Party president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has gone to the ground to instruct longhouse residents to limit their Gawai celebrations.
He also instructed each unit to be cordoned off from adjacent ones.
“I am appealing to all my Dayak friends in longhouses to confine their celebrations to their own families inside their respective units.
“Do not visit your neighbour, do not hold celebrations that can result in big crowds.
“For your own safety and that of your families, please stay inside your own housing quarters and limit your celebrations,” he said when conducting checks in the constituency today.
He said the coronavirus can easily spread within longhouses if residents let their guard down.
Bintulu is already seriously hit by Covid-19, with deaths and hundreds of cases reported in recent weeks, he said.
“There is no need to celebrate too much. We can enjoy it openly when the pandemic is over, but not now.”
Gawai, a festival that traditionally lasts for a month, starts tomorrow.
The celebration sees about a million Dayaks giving thanks for a good harvest and ushering in the next planting season. – The Vibes, May 31, 2021
