MIRI – All 40 districts in Sarawak must set up a public hotline to enable people to lodge complaints against those who flout the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Sarawak PKR information chief Abun Sui Anyit said too many people are defying the SOPs in public nowadays.
“The enforcers, too, are very lax. I travelled to Sibu and Bintulu recently for official work-related activities and I saw many people not following the SOPs.
“They do not bother to wear face masks and they sit in big groups without physical distancing.
“This is happening in coffee shops, in towns and at transit points along the Pan Borneo Highway from Miri to Bintulu to Sibu,” Abun told The Vibes.
He added that enforcement officers are conspicuous in their absence.
Every district has to be tough in enforcing the SOPs and dealing with those who flout them, and there should be district-specific teams that go out to nab these perpetrators, he said.
“The public need hotlines to report such cases for swift action to be taken,” he said.
The authorities in Sibu district had last week set up a special hotline and operations room to deal with SOP-flouters who refuse to obey directives on wearing face masks, practising social distancing and indulging in social gatherings.
State Assistant Public Health Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee yesterday announced that the hotline and Ops Room are managed by the Sibu police.
The centre is called Bilik Gerakan Covid-19 Sibu, said Dr Annuar, who is Nangka rep and coordinator of the Sibu Disaster Management Committee.
“There is a direct line and also a WhatsApp line where messages can be sent.
“I urge everyone in Sibu to keep these numbers in their handphones.
“If you come across anyone in public not obeying any of the SOPs or you see any premises not complying with the SOPs, please call the hotline or send a message to the WhatsApp number immediately,” he had said in public notices via social chat groups.
The fixed line number is 084-323-224 and the WhatsApp number is 013-999-4158.
Widespread defiance by the people towards the SOPs have been cited as the main reason for the worsening Covid-19 spread in Sarawak, which has caused 120 deaths and some 19,000 infections as of yesterday evening.
Sibu, along with Kuching, Bintulu and Miri, are the worst-hit zones in the state. – The Vibes, April 11, 2021
