MIRI – Local community leaders are questioning the motive behind the Sarawak government’s sudden move to ease entry rules into the state despite the persistent surge in new daily Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Former Miri mayor Datuk Lawrence Lai, a lawyer here, said the decision announced by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) yesterday evening caught everyone by surprise as there was no public consultation at all.
“What is the real reason for lifting the mandatory quarantine into Sarawak for those coming in from other states all of a sudden, as announced yesterday evening?” he said.
“Was the decision political in nature or for economic reasons? The SDMC and state leaders owe the people a good explanation.
“Their sudden decision does not make good sense as the Delta variant is raging all over the state now.”
Lai pointed out that independent public health research from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak has shown the Delta variant to be dominant in the 12 divisions of Sarawak.
“The state leaders should have gradually reduced the 14 days required for the mandatory quarantine, not lifted it altogether suddenly,” he said, adding that those infected include people who are fully vaccinated.
“To open the floodgates to entries at this time is tantamount to endangering the lives of more ordinary folks,” Lai said to The Vibes.
Baram People’s Action Committee chairman Philip Jau, a social activist, said Sarawak has seen high infection rates for the past two months and lifting the mandatory quarantine, unless for political and economic concerns, does not make sense.
“I would think that the more sensible thing to do while the Delta variant is rampaging is to tighten public movements, not open the floodgates to more uncontrolled movements,” he said.
Jau said the state leaders had not consulted community organisations before lifting the mandatory quarantine yesterday evening.
“Other native community groups also were not consulted either. It came as a complete surprise to us,” he said.
The SDMC yesterday evening announced that anyone arriving from other states in Malaysia who are fully vaccinated with two doses do not need to undergo mandatory quarantine at designated centres in Sarawak anymore.
However, those coming in from overseas, as well as people from other states with one dose or none, need to undergo 10 days of quarantine.
The committee’s secretariat said the decision takes effect starting today.
Fully dosed individuals from other states must apply online and submit their vaccination certificates and negative PCR test results three days before entry. They can bring with them children below the age of 18.
Sarawak yesterday saw 4,709 new infections, with Kuching having 1,866, Samarahan 417, Bintulu 369, Sibu 347, Serian 289, Simunjan 227, Bau 192, Asajaya 129, Miri 117, Betong 108, and other districts below 100 cases each.
12 new confirmed coronavirus fatalities yesterday brought the tally of deaths to 651 in the state. – The Vibes, September 16, 2021
