KUCHING – A human rights activist and two politicians have condemned the unfortunate incident in which a 21-year-old man under quarantine at a Sarikei hotel recently found a maggot wriggling in his food packet.
According to a report in DayakDaily, the maggot was found in a portion of dwarf beans packed in his lunch box, among those distributed to travellers under quarantine.
The man took a video of the crawling grub and sent it to his uncle and longhouse chief Empi Dang, who lodged a complaint with the Julau and Pakan Health Departments.
Empi received an apology from the person in charge of food distribution for the Sarikei division’s quarantine centres.
“This is the first time we have encountered this. The Sarikei director called me and apologised. I really have no more words,” DayakDaily quoted Empi as saying.
Rights activist Peter Jaban told The Vibes the incident is not only disgusting but also tarnishes the good name of the Health Department, whose frontliners are diligently fighting to save lives in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The food contractor and person in charge of food distribution to the quarantine centres in Sarikei must be terminated immediately. He called on the Health Ministry to deploy food inspectors to monitor the preparation and delivery of these food packets to those quarantined.
Being quarantined for 14 days is bad enough, but to be issued maggot-riddled food takes the cake.”
He said this problem should never have happened and must be investigated by the authorities.
Parti Aspirasi president Lina Soo, meanwhile, raised a line of questions.
“Where is quality control? Why is the council so lax in monitoring the quarantine process with regard to food?
“Where are the MPs and aduns for Sarikei? Should they not be on the ground to supervise the food preparation and distribution?”
She said elected reps in Sarikei must answer to the people over this incident.
Ba’kelalan assemblyman and Selangau MP Baru Bian also described the incident as “disgusting”.
“It is irresponsible on the part of the contractor to be so careless and uncaring about food safety and hygiene. That contractor should have his contract terminated immediately and action be taken against him.
“These guys are already so stressed being quarantined and being served with contaminated food is totally unacceptable,” he said.
He added that residents of the same longhouse should have been quarantined together in the same location.
“If they are taken away from their longhouses, the authorities better be responsible for their welfare.” – The Vibes, June 30, 2021
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